Grief in times of pandemic
Nearly 1.8 million people worldwide have died from COVID-19, more than 50,000 of them in Spain. The circumstances surrounding this disease have been especially difficult for affected families and individuals, particularly during the first wave in the spring of 2020. Isolation, loneliness, and the inability to say goodbye to loved ones have been a severe ordeal for society as a whole.
On this issue, various experts have shared their reflections and thoughts that can help many people cope with a grief that has undoubtedly been very different from what we are used to.
These reflections on grief and the need to say goodbye to loved ones are featured in the online event "The Right to Say Goodbye," moderated by Dr. Montserrat Esquerda , director of the Borja Institute of Bioethics and a pediatrician. This online event includes contributions from experts such as Juan Pedro Arbizu, head of the Psychology Department at San Juan de Dios Hospital in Pamplona ; and José Burillo, attending physician in the Internal Medicine Department at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu. and Dr. Sabel Gabaldón , head of the Psychiatry section at Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona . The meeting also included a video presentation by Josep Antoni Boix , head of the Spiritual and Religious Care Service at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu.
The digital meeting began with Dr. Esquerda's reflections on the ontological link (referring to the branch of metaphysical philosophy that studies the nature of being as being) between the terms caring and curing, reflecting on how sometimes it is not possible to cure, but this should never make us forget the duty to care.
On the other hand, Juan Pedro Arbizu emphasized the importance of farewell rituals and encouraged creativity when traditional methods are not possible, for example, due to COVID-19 restrictions. He also stressed that, contrary to popular belief, people who died in hospitals did not die alone, as they were often accompanied by healthcare professionals when family members could not be present. For this reason, Arbizu also emphasized the need for professionals who possess strong ethical values, not just technical skills.
José Burillo wanted to share the three elements that most impacted his professional colleagues in the early moments of the pandemic:
- The helplessness due to the lack of knowledge about the virus itself and the lack of adequate resources to care for those affected.
- The loneliness , not only of people with COVID-19 but also of those who were isolated in the hospital due to the confinement situation itself.
- Communicating the bad news and having to do it by phone means losing the power of face-to-face support.
On the other hand, it highlights the lessons learned about humility in the face of illness and the hope of knowing that all the effort will bear fruit at some point.
Dr. Sabel Gabaldón delved into the idea that all people depend on one another, that we are beings who coexist and die together—a reality that the COVID-19 pandemic has particularly highlighted. To illustrate this idea, Dr. Gabaldón recalled a 16th-century poem by John Donne that remains relevant today.
You can watch the full digital meeting in "The right to say goodbye" .
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