«We Were Alone. Without Masks and Facing 'the Bug'»

October 2024. José Luis emerges shrunken from the darkness behind the thick cream-colored walls of the old Oliver Civil Hospital in Alcoy. Today it is the seat of the Palace of Justice. The man walks with leaden steps. With weight on body and soul. He lights a cigarette as soon as he crosses the threshold of the door and smokes it anxiously. With watery eyes. The last weekly session of the first civil trial for a massive death of elderly people due to Covid in all of Spain ends.

74 dead in just one month at the height of the pandemic in the DomusVi nursing home. A lawsuit against the company, Quavitae, with compensation of two million for 15 fatalities and three serious injuries. José Luis is the president of the association of those affected. He lost an aunt in Alcoy. «They always showed her bedridden. I told them, 'You never move her!'», José Luis complained at that time from the cold distance of the video call. She ended up dying.

Esther and Carmen walk by his side. With the same weight on their shoulders from an eternal legal battle: proving that much failed within the walls of the nursing home. Esther lost her uncle. Today she doesn't even want to talk about it. Carmen, her mother. «We were a week without communication with the residence. They said that the phones had gone down. Then suddenly one day they told me 'oh, yes, your mother has 'the little bug'. She died a few days later», she resigns while also smoking one cigarette after another.

March 2020. Covid roams Spain. On Nofre Jordà Street in Alcoy, a stately 19th-century building remains closed tight. It houses the DomusVi residence. Also with thick cream-colored walls. And another former headquarters of Oliver Civil Hospital. Like the Palace of Justice. Cruel twists of fate. «We were completely alone there. Helpless. Barely any masks and facing 'the bug'». These are Begoña's words (a fictitious name because she does not want to reveal her identity). An employee those days at the center and one of the first healthcare workers to give her testimony to a media outlet. She suffered that horrific beginning of March. With elderly people naked except for a diaper. «Protocol? There was none. Barely each in their room and little else. There was no isolation», Begoña recounts.

Dozens of elderly people abandoned to their fate. Not even the healthiest were spared. The healthcare worker remembers an intern from a day center who only spent a few hours at the center. «He was healthy. It didn't matter. He fell ill. I remember a case of a man who died and we didn't realize until the next day. It overwhelmed us».

She witnessed the beginning of chaos and alleged lack of response from both the center (something that will have to be determined by courts) and Generalitat itself, then led by Ximo Puig with Ana Barceló heading Health Department. There is no criminal action against Valencian administration; those affected went directly to civil route upon advice from their lawyers due to potential difficulties with criminal jurisdiction.

It was made clear by Superior Court Justice October 2022: annulled three Alicante court sentences previously condemning Health for not providing protective gear doctors needed; highest Valencian tribunal ruled although Valencian healthcare workers faced Covid without proper PPE suits scarcity masks deployed undeniable preventive activity initially insufficient much unpredictability alarming dimensions rapid spread virus involved.

But during that dark March 2020 month there was chaotic window time Alcoy residence nine fateful unsupervised administrative days left outbreak infections center later uncontrollable; nine days elapsed between first case date center intervened Health Department.

Ninth March detected 'patient zero'; management company insists twelfth but civil trial ending next week focuses ninth; enough fear coronavirus neither Alcoy residence nor Spain while behind thick cream-colored walls old hospital civil greatest tragedy nursing home pandemic's black chronicle brewing country echoes massive demonstrations Women's Day still resounded same leading subsequent controversy whether postponed should have been; sixteen dead nearly thousand infections already accumulated ninth March Spain.

The muds sown by Fernando Simón's infamously remembered phrase responsible epidemiological fight Spain: «We will have at most some diagnosed contagion without local transmission limited controlled». Tenth day Fallas suspended rest history recent painful times.

Among cream-colored asylum walls Alcoy epidemiological bomb's fuse already unstoppable; only three days after 'zero contagion', asylum hell Manuel Pérez never forgets day set foot geriatrics twelfth March "It was hecatomb"; he head Home Hospitalization Unit Virgen Lirios Hospital Alcoy his testimony trial this week harrowing "There were patients floor asking us take them away broken diapers wanted water... Throughout my career I've never seen similar disaster".

At Palace Justice doors trial recess Carmen Abad chews every word as if still feeling mind body pain week knowing nothing mother no information nor affection until lost forever "They fell like flies neither prevention nor isolation brutal group infections"; Carmen looks ground pauses speaking mind wanders "She had dementia but she was fine she was fine autonomous"; takes another drag cigarette looks José Luis Esther two judicial fatigue companions "She was fine... she was fine... autonomous..." intones again smoke cigarette.

'Mr Monfort' first too long list died sixteenth March DomusVi claims arrived infected hospital isolated Palliative unit month macabre rosary fatalities reached seventy-four "Only happened there among ten area residences I controlled"; sentenced judge Home Hospitalization Head Virgen Lirios.

The court will later give its verdict neither 'zero contagion' nor end 'Mr Monfort activated Health Equality Inclusive Policies response nine days after everything began eighteenth March intervened all geriatrics Community but Alcoy wasn't just another nobody saw before then couldn't close Pandora's box anymore.

"I don't even know if one inside coffin really my father"; this Silvia Peris' harsh reality another relatives week-long pilgrimage courtroom Alcoy barely seven-minute drive residence left father never see him again seventy-nine years old Alzheimer's disease "You take your father residence not because bothers home but can't care hundred percent want quality life what results don't treat person".

Silvia doesn't seek money "My father treated economic asset"; her compass four years isn't two million global compensation almost fifty families claiming compensation all want answers why tremendous neglect "I had clean father's dentures because two assistants changing diapers washing feeding more twenty dependents"; why hidden so much information what happened virus spread plague among elderly horror hearing news five deaths daily unaware if one them father "Sixteenth March told sick then learned much earlier giving morphine calling saying stable feverless". False Inhuman "Already dying family unaware unable mourn", laments affected.

Alicante park bench Jorge Sancha sits man handles trembling fingers several photos hands looks between grief nostalgia helplessness portraits mother swallowed hell Covid DomusVi presses emotionally heart poses LAS PROVINCIAS camera Emilia last fatalities perished fifteenth April already times more masks PCR strict protocol application late drama seed sown many days earlier "Eighth March visits prohibited residence didn't hear twenty-sixth symptoms isolated".

The next day Jorge carries knife soul through video call could communicate mother actually only see sink state "Brutal mother cognitive impairment before knew us physically perfect day emaciated only moved eyes didn't know who we were".

The day Emilia died five other inmates lost lives Jorge bitter consolation "At least warned day before say goodbye very serious brother could tell how much loved", murmurs Jorge.

He complainant hasn't set foot court "Couldn't stand there would leave room hearing everything". Nor declared despite testimony provided LAS PROVINCIAS highlights scene suggests things done well should've been done Alcoy geriatrics another video call mother physiotherapist suddenly heard someone behind saying 'Come Emilia stand up nothing happens another resident entered mother's room doctor said mistaken truth woman near infected mother..." drop water infernal sea Justice now must decide responsible.