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From: TT
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February 1 | Photo: Paul White / AP / TT
Retirees play cards in a square in the Spanish capital, Madrid, which, like the small town of Tomelloso, has been badly affected by the corona virus.
The second wave of corona hits Spain. The small Spanish town of Tomelloso was badly affected by the previous eruption. Now the neighbors are fighting so that the nightmare of last spring does not repeat itself.
When the pandemic broke out, Lourdes Visus Cedrian, 56, was working as a medical assistant. Back in his place, in a corner in front of the hospital morgue, he shudders when he remembers how death hit Tomelloso with all its force.
– At first, I used to come here to this corner when I needed to take a break or cry. But I had to stop for all the bodies that were taken all the time. . . It was too painful, Lourdes Visus Cedrian tells AFP.
One percent died
Spain was one of the most affected countries in Europe during the first wave of the pandemic. But the wave of viruses hit the small town of Tomelloso with exceptional force, which lost almost one percent of its more than 36,000 inhabitants.
Before the crisis, Tomelloso was a place known for its vineyards, and tourists came here to the Castilla-La Mancha region to follow in the footsteps of the famous novel character Don Quixote by Miguel Cervante. However, in connection with the virus outbreak, it all came to an end and, in the press, the city was instead proclaimed “Wuhan for La Mancha”, in honor of the Chinese city where the virus was first found.
Ángeles Rodríguez, 50, lost her mother in late March after becoming ill and spending a week in the hospital. He turned 82 years old.
– Everything was so fast, it feels as if a car ran over her, says Ángeles Rodríguez that she could not meet with her mother to say goodbye to her and that only after several months could she talk about what happened.
“It felt like torture”
In the same hospital where Ángeles Rodríguez’s mother died, local journalist Francisco Navarro, 56, fought for his life. He had bilateral pneumonia, he says.
“I was in the hospital for ten days and I did nothing but try to breathe,” he told AFP.
Every day for several hours, he had to lie down with his head down to allow air to enter his damaged lungs, something he describes as “torture.”
He survived, but had serious problems, including constant exhaustion, irregular heartbeats, and a persistent feeling of depression.
– I have become very sensitive, I cry a lot and the smallest thing can return me directly to what happened, he says.
Remains a mystery
During the second wave, the situation is now completely different in Tomelloso. According to the authorities, Tomelloso is one of the cities in the region with the lowest number of cases. Only 13 deaths have been reported between May and September. One big difference is that a team is actively working to track down those infected, as opposed to the last time patients were diagnosed when they went to the hospital for emergency care. But the exact reason why the pandemic hit Tomelloso so hard remains a mystery.
The authorities have worked hard to help all of society. And local journalist Francisco Navarro is convinced that the reason the situation is different this time is joint efforts.
– We have learned our lesson well. We are a small town and almost all families were affected by someone’s death or ending up in hospital, he says.
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