Teen wakes from 10-month coma, has no knowledge of coronavirus pandemic

Joseph Flavill, 19, was hit by a car on March 1, 2020, three weeks before his country began enforcing lockdown measures.

"He won't know anything about the pandemic as he's been asleep for 10 months. His awareness is starting to improve now but we just don't know what he knows," said the boy's aunt, Sally Flavill Smith.

"I just don't know where to start with it. A year ago if someone had told me what was going to happen over the last year, I don't think I would have believed it. I've got no idea how Joseph's going to come to understand what we've all been through," she continued.

According to Smith, Joseph is currently lacking in awareness and finds it difficult to understand why his family cannot visit him in the hospital. They have explained that there is an ongoing pandemic, but apparently have not thus far explained the scale of the situation.

"But we try to keep it as simple as possible, we don't really have the time to go into the pandemic hugely—it just doesn't feel real does it?" Smith asked rhetorically. "When he can actually have the face-to-face contact, that will be the opportunity to actually try to explain to him what has happened."

Flavill is unable to speak currently, but is conscious and able to answer yes or no questions through blinking. He is also able to move some of his limbs and smile.

His mother Sharon was allowed to visit him in the hospital for his 19th birthday, but questioned whether he could even recognize her beneath all the mandatory PPE.

Flavill reportedly caught coronavirus on two occasions while he was in a coma.