TEN METRES was all that separated Tasneem Banu Ali from her father when she walked into the arrival hall of Changi Airport in the early hours of Tuesday morning – after a 28-hour flight from Mexico.
Having been away from her family for five months, she couldn't even give her dad a hug – on strict orders that she was to have no physical contact with anyone in case she may be carrying the Influenza A (H1N1) virus.
It was an emotionally-charged moment for the 20-year-old, who had a teary conversation with her father on the phone, as she was bundled into a van.
Ms Tasneem was one of three Nanyang Technological University students placed under a home quarantine order at Aloha Loyang Resort after returning from an exchange programme in Mexico – the epi-centre of the flu outbreak.
It was clearly not the welcome home any of them anticipated. They knew they had the option of being quarantined either at home or in the resort, but had left the decision to their parents to decide.
They found out that they would be calling the Aloha resort home for the period of the quarantine only when they touched down in Singapore.
It was a bitter pill for them to swallow as they had hoped to be able to go home to familiar surroundings.
"I was assuming that it would be home, so of course I was disappointed," said 21-year-old undergraduate Sandra Marie Vincent.
A further blow was dealt when she found out that they would not even be quarantined together. Each was to be housed at their own bungalow, under strict orders not to mingle or to leave the house.
I imagine it was not an easy decision for their parents to make – albeit perhaps one they felt was necessary out of a sense of responsibility.
Ms Vincent's mother said she wanted to alleviate the fears of colleagues and relatives. It would be difficult for parents and siblings to go to school if the girls remained at home.
The 46-year-old nurse said that she had to comfort Ms Vincent, who was teary after being informed of the decision.
Even Ms Tasneem said that she was so unnerved that she could not sleep the first night of her quarantine.
But the young women have clearly been making the best of the situation so as not to 'endanger' their families, even though it's clearly not how they would have liked to end their exchange programme.
Their voices brighten when they talk about their time in Mexico, and it's obvious that they miss the life they led there.
Capping the experience with a quarantine was what Ms Vincent described as 'anti-climatic'.
To keep their spirits up, they’ve begun planning what to do when they come out of quarantine – such as having dinners with their families and friends, or re-decorating their rooms.
The days pass by uneventfully during what Ms Vincent describes as 'high-class quarantine' – time is spent watching movies and catching up with family and friends via phone or instant messaging.
Temperature checks are done thrice daily, but so far none have shown any signs of being infected.
Their families make sure that they're not forgotten too – any requests that the girls make, they do their best to fulfil. Their requests include DVDs and even home-cooked food.
Said Mrs Vincent: "We know it can be miserable staying alone, so whatever she wants, I will take to her."
It's clear that the girls share a closeness with their families. And with that kind of support, I guess maybe things aren’t so bad after all.