David González has shared in a video the difficulties he and his family are going through after losing David's grandmother to coronavirus, alone in a hospital bed. He recorded the video in order to "make people aware that they must take this matter seriously and realise that we can't put other people's lives in danger".
It is a crushing story. ElNacional.cat spoke to David, and he explained that on Saturday March 14th, Encarna, his grandmother was admitted to the Moisés Broggi Hospital in Sant Joan Despí, near Barcelona, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia. Encarna was 90 years old and had no prior medical conditions. Once she was admitted to hospital, she was diagnosed with coronavirus, and she spent the weekend in an emergency room bay, until she was moved into a ward on March 16th.
David explains that in the beginning, she was provided with a respirator but she was taken off it on Wednesday, the day before her death, because according to the doctors "she had improved her condition and seemed livelier". She suddenly died on Thursday, after being hospitalized for five days. Her family had an extremely hard time since they could not communicate with their grandmother in any way. The doctors had offered the hospital phone as a way of contacting the patient, but the line was constantly busy.
The family deeply regrets the fact that Encarna died completely alone. Only her grandson David, wearing all the necessary protective clothing, was allowed to see her after she died. He had only three minutes to say goodbye, because the bed had to be occupied by another infected patient. In the video, which he admits was "recorded spontaneously" he also stresses the "humane treatment and warmth received from the healthcare professionals".
However, he sends a very strong message to those who choose not to respect the lockdown and the public orders that have been decreed. "To those of you who say that it doesn't matter if you go out to walk your dog 20 times, to those who continuously go to the supermarket, or visit your neighbours, go out in the car without any reason... You are completely unaware of what is happening". David is absolutely clear about this: "Please, I ask all of you who still believe this is an exaggeration, stay at home. Do toilet paper juggling challenges, sing, listen to music, whatever you want. But stay at home".
David González: "In the cemetery, with family members, with a metre and a half between us, without being able to hug each other, touch other, give kisses and cry together... it's a situation I don't desire for anyone, absolutely anyone. We've always got over the death of a loved one through affection and hugs from those we're close to, but none of us who were there had any of that."
There were neither hugs at Encarna's burial nor the warmth necessary at such moments. David reiterated that "she died completely alone after days in hospital". Moreover, she was buried in the hospital gown without a religious service or wake. The family is from Sant Feliu de Llobregat, and David's father, Encarna's son, also has COVID-19 symptoms. Now, says David, "we have to overcome the grief and illness at home".