Five years since the arrival of covid-19 in Mexico, those who lost a loved one or survived the severe illness still remember those days as if they were yesterday. More than 335,000 people lost their lives in the country due to the virus during that time, according to official figures.
María de los Ángeles Piñón Solano has not overcome the loss of her husband Javier Silverio, who died during the second wave of covid-19 in Mexico. "Five years feels like it was yesterday because I still (feel) the pain, the absence is very strong, and I, at least, still have not overcome it," shares María, amid tears.
For her, as for many, the physical and emotional aftermath lingers. Her daughter Susana remembers the odyssey of searching hospitals for a bed for her father. Eventually, they managed to admit him, but the anguish of signing a consent form for intubation and preparing for the worst became palpable.
While Javier fought for his life in solitude, both María and her family faced the illness. The loss of Javier dealt a harsh blow to the family, with repercussions that go beyond the emotional. María now deals with pulmonary issues and the economic impact on her bakery, founded by Javier.
Ariel Sosa, a journalist and survivor of severe covid, also recalls the pain of seeing others succumb to the virus. In a temporary hospital at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, he witnessed how people died in solitude. "What hurt me the most is that profound loneliness in which people died," shares Ariel, remembering the suffering endured.
