The dead cry too

Although I know that this bad dream is not temporary and that unfortunately it will accompany us for many, many more days or months, I would like to dedicate my thoughts to all those people who have lost their lives because of this pandemic called coronavirus, however, to try to sweeten or disguise such a lurid word, its technical name, COVID-19, was subsequently adopted to define it.

I don't want to go into disquisitions about the origin and extension of the outbreak, which took a long time to be declared a pandemic in order not to frighten the public; but, above all, in order not to lose many millions and bring down the economy due to the derivatives that every severe and serious pandemic causes; even if this was done without stopping to think, that every movement in search of being initially "reassuring", with time translates into a serious crisis of greater scope, tough consequences and, in short, into a great and consistent ruin, chaos and propagation.

Humans and the so-called International Community, as intelligent beings that we believe ourselves to be, at one time provided ourselves with expensive international bodies such as the WHO to study this type of threat; their capacity to spread, as well as the analysis and development of the necessary means to stop them, limit them, cure them and even eradicate them, when necessary, so that they could never turn the world upside down, as in this case, however, that is what happened. 

Something has failed, because neither this body, numerous expensive and specific intelligence services, nor other diplomatic or health public or private means, have been able to clearly see the picture of what it could become, its consequences and the effects that this would have on everyone. They did not succeed, or worse, their reports and advice did not reach deep enough into the insensitive minds of those who lead our nations, alliances or the world itself in its self-centred struggle for power, appearance and, ultimately, to dominate others.

Many men and some women who do not hesitate to endanger the lives of their subjects and fellow citizens to avoid being the first to take steps to stop all activity, close the doors of their homes and put into practice the previously accumulated prophylactic, protective measures and auxiliary elements, which as we see today are not many and different, but necessary in industrial quantities; In such a way and manner, that it is a mistake to not have them previously and it is even worse, to depend on foreign trade to have them available at the necessary time and manner for each occasion in the midst of tremendous competition and much betrayal.

In view of the above, I have the bitter feeling that all those leaders have their eyes and minds fixed only on the economy, their own prestige and on finding the fastest way out of the rut to avoid economic or political bankruptcy or a prolonged depression.

Few, if any, think, or appear to think, of the thousands and thousands of deaths that this situation may bring; they do so little or not at all, which, unlike the aforementioned economic part, when it comes to deaths, the immense majority fail to take prior action, make the necessary adjustments, provide aid and real emergency plans, and ensure the appropriate regulation.

We have become so selfish, so insensitive and despicable, that we do not flinch in leaving our elders in their homes where they live alone in the millions or in those "idyllic nursing homes" where, more and more frequently and even without apparent justification, we park our elders, deceiving ourselves that that is where they will find their final solace and where, without haste or great care, they will spend the rest of their lives peacefully, well cared for and in the company of their peers between talks, walks in the sun and some games.

Attended by limited health and auxiliary personnel, regulated and little else, who, with much love, dedication and even in some cases with great heroism, generally try to give them the best for fees that vary according to the area and if the residences are more or less luxurious and have or not some kind of subsidy.

Residences, which proliferate more than mushrooms at the beginning of spring and which appear everywhere, even in rural areas as another means of comfort and of easing unemployment in order to create a permanent and fixed occupation for the many employees around them, invest many hours a day in their work and dedication. But nobody even thought that those poor wretches could face a much tougher battle than the others, since, due to the demands of the script, they live not only in crowded conditions, but also in intimate contact and too close to each other, so that they can easily infect each other every time the flu, colds or any other type of infection arrives. 

The scarce sanitary personnel, the few means at their disposal and the main hospitals, if they are close and available, are not enough to cover a pandemic or a major infection season. Therefore, the elderly residents are doomed to suffer it in partnership, with titanic efforts to combat it by the staff in charge, but that, clearly, are lacking or insufficient to cover everything that the situation requires. 

The authorities have decreed on almost all sides, that those housed there must spend the pandemic in isolated residences, in the company of many infected, with no relatives able to come and see them and kiss them for fear of contagion on either side. Although apparently or actually they are accompanied by the staff in charge, they are not usually accompanied by their relatives, those who gave so much and loved them, who one day moved them there with the healthy and good intention of being cared for and attended to as befits their mature and ailing condition. 

After several days of suffering, many die alone and without a look or gesture of affection from those who loved so much, to whom they gave everything in life and until recently so that their children and grandchildren could find the path of prosperity in pursuit of a better world without as much concern or restriction as they did. 
 

The worst and most unworthy of this situation is that when the first cases of deaths in residences in a specific Community came to light, the government - through the mouth of a minister, a former judge by the way - in an act of false indignation, quickly transferred the case to the State Attorney General's Office to investigate and take legal action, as if this were a serious isolated case of negligence. But, soon, in view of its generalization, the issue was diffused to never hear about it again because it affects all of Spain where the government has all the responsibility to legislate the residences in terms of the support to be received, acted upon and managed.  

On the other hand, let's not say anything about those who, due to the vicissitudes of life and their personal or economic situation, do not even have the opportunity to live in the aforementioned residences and live alone in their more or less equipped houses and apartments without, in many cases with honourable exceptions, any of the new young residents, who now occupy the adjacent flats, saying good morning to them, holding their hands or asking them about their state of health or need for support if necessary.

The parks, bars and senior centres where they used to go every day to spend their hours of boredom and loneliness have been closed to them; many, most of them do not have or know how to use the internet, they hardly use a first or second generation mobile phone, they receive a miserable pension and their few relatives no longer exist, they live far away or have lost all connection, affection, love and dedication years ago. In most cases, their only link to health care is reduced to a single call to a very busy number or pressing the famous tele-assistant button from where, in both cases, they are usually kindly told to stay at home, keep warm, don't go out and take a paracetamol.

No one hears from them except for a noise when a door closes, but how many of these people no longer open their eyes in the morning when the sun rises and a few days later the firemen have to go and break down the door, knowing what they will find lying in bed or sitting on the living room couch.

Those who are lucky enough to get around the high fences which try to prevent them from being admitted to a hospital, if they are unfortunate enough to go to the ICU because they need such extreme care, will find themselves alone and cut off from everything they have known up to now, full of tubes and frightened at the sight of rapidly moving, and like madmen on all sides, staff running and screaming behind strange masks and in suits so strange that they look like Martians. Many of them, after several days of suffering, succumb to the subhuman effort in vain and die; and if they are lucky, at that last and final moment, they will find at most the gloved hand of that "strange being" who, during all those final and long days, although in a hurry, has lent him his dedication, a little bit of love and a lot of care.

All of them, and in spite of the fact that once they are dead, their ordeal does not end; many long hours and even days of waiting for their inert bodies to be discovered at home, to be picked up from the residence or the hospital's morgue. To make matters worse, not everyone will be counted as a victim of this horrible bug, because the numbers are so high that they scare politicians and the medical staff because of their poor foresight, the few or poor measures employed, and many other management errors, and in short, they reflect a real and serious failure. It is therefore necessary to conceal it and reduce it as much as possible because statistics are very dangerous and the world is very attentive to use its own figures to its advantage and throw those of the opposite side in its face at the slightest occasion, in order to pretend or falsely convey good or very good management.

This is when a sad and long pilgrimage begins through different mortuaries, mortuaries and improvised morgues, such as the ice rinks, and other more bizarre ones. The journey and the places where the pilgrims walk alone cannot be accompanied or watched, as is our Roman or Muslim tradition, but it is deeply rooted in all our lands, cities, towns and neighbourhoods.

After several days of waiting with some luck, and if the body is not lost, it is time for burial or cremation. If the funeral home gives notice in time, one can attend the ceremony, which is only permitted for three family members or relatives at that tender and painful moment, when the last goodbye and even the last kiss are given to the deceased. The worst thing of all is that when you go to the funeral or cremation, you do not know who is in the coffin because, because of the infections, all of them are sealed.  
 

Sadly, this is the end of a story that happens mostly among older people, because it may be true that the widely spread "story" that older people with different pathologies have more difficulty escaping from this disease. I doubt this and I believe that it is not always true, because many examples indicate that this rule is not golden and may even be an invention to justify bad planning, the lack of resources, the lack of decorum or even the removing from the market and circulation of many thousands of ''old things'', which bother many people and which, for some, are only a number or represent millions in pensions and health spending.  

It is sad to grow up, but it is much sadder to die alone, without friends, colleagues or family who, with their tears, wipe away the tears of those who know they are dying and who, after having given everything, only ask for a little affection at their side. 

This unhappy story, which I have told with a certain bitterness, is totally true, not invented and does not seek anything in particular; except to serve as a small and sincere tribute to all those who have died - especially the oldest - and those who will unfortunately follow; to condemn the authorities who do not give it the proper treatment and consideration and to highlight a serious pilgrimage, which, for various reasons or hidden agendas, they want to hide from us so that we are not very aware of the truth and so that we continue to go out every afternoon to show our cheerfulness at the windows and balconies with songs and applause in spite of so much confinement, too many vain speeches, holding the congress hostage, the subsidised media and knowing that if we had acted sooner, well and bravely, all this, at least in part, could have been avoided. Moreover, we have managed to keep our dear dead out of the spotlight, those who suffered their last moments, alone or in very little and alien company.