I have a friend who is fighting for his life, right now, in the intensive care unit, coupled to a lung ventilator. My nephew is four months old and I have not seen him yet; his name is Thiago and I see him grow up, beautiful, from the photos on social media.

I know a man from Las Tunas who lost his mother and, just a day later, his father; and could not kiss either of them. Right now he doesn't know what hurts more, that or the smell of his things in the empty house. I also know of a teenager, in Buena Vista, who no longer has a mother; just two months ago they were happy, on the beach, together, celebrating life.

I have a friend who has not been able to sleep for several nights because her daughter is in an isolation center, and I tell her to calm down that she is already a woman, but she does not listen to reasons and continues with a cracked voice and an infinite fright after the announcement of each vomit over the phone. And he looks in the drawers for a "gravinol" and how best to make a good ball of plantain; and then, when she has it all ready, s grabs some twisted threshing and makes sure she will have help to get it to her. 

They are not cold numbers in the daily part of Dr. Durán; they are people: parents, children, siblings, countrymen, people. And it hurts to infinity that, "with the thing as it is", some people still do not understand.

"Things are on fire" and the conditions of the isolation centers are not the best. We have been suffering from the pandemics for more than a year and everything is over, even by force. But some do not understand it and that is what these lines are about, of the extremes.

I know of a newly married woman who escaped from an isolation center; and of those who have been fined for selling the things they bring from Russia right there, a few hours after arriving; and even those who organized a party in the stairwell of a multi-family building; and I learned, although somewhat late, the story of an isolated man from Las Tunas in his house who went to the Playa Pesquero Hotel in Guardalavaca, for three days. And the saddest thing is that he was one of the first to shout when access to the beaches was prohibited because "if people behave well, that's safe."

Right now, who walks down the street visiting a friend (and make no mistake, there are still those) does as much damage as who allows the children to get together, wearing bibs and playing in the streets as if this was a normal vacation, a perfect time, no people in pain, real.

Now, the country vaccinates, by dint of much, much courage; but nothing will be enough if everyone is not aware of their role, everywhere.

I say this because it is very bad that you are isolated and the family doctor does not even look around, even from the gate of your house. Of course, this is wrong and it must be said with the force of fairness; but it does not mean that you should go to get bread, or doing anything else other than to take care of yourself.

It is not now a matter of head-butting each other; we must row evenly, escape from the hyper critics, which only look at the sun's spots; help others by taking care of ourselves.

The COVID-19 is killing many people in Cuba; to silence so much scattered crying behind the doors of many houses, everyone must do their part without delay.