Humor and tenderness to overcome the experience of COVID-19

"March 2020. The COVID-19 virus is spreading alarmingly and the government has decreed a citizen lockdown. Except for certain specific jobs, everyone else must stay locked in their homes."

With these words begins the graphic novel * Living Together for 19 Days* ( Norma Editorial), which tells the story of how a couple experienced the strict lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic in Spain. One of them, Ivan, an essential worker at a healthcare facility, contracted the virus at work. The other, David, had to follow his husband's physical recovery from a distance (the distance between his house and the hospital, or perhaps the thickness of the wall in the next room) for 50 days.

The comic was born as a personal way for them to feel closer to one another, a window into their fears, uncertainties, and feelings, where humor also emerges and with which many people have identified. A work that bears witness to our recent history.

We talked to them about their experience, mental health, and returning to routine.

Fear of the unknown

David

"In the graphic novel, you see many moments of fear. At the beginning of the pandemic, we were afraid of getting infected by going out on the street, touching anything, we didn't have masks... Later on, the fear, which hovers over the whole story like another character, was something more concrete: Will Ivan get better?"

Ivan

"In my case, taking the subway to work was terrifying. And so was going home and thinking that if you've been infected, you could infect anyone you care about. But above all, one moment is etched in my memory. The second time I was admitted, they took me to the hospital in an ambulance. I was alone with the driver, sitting with my back to him. During that journey, I thought about everything. I also thought that it was all over. I saw it as very bleak. Later, I learned that I was on the verge of needing intensive care and that they didn't know if I would make it."

The role of caring and, at the same time, working

Ivan

"I know I haven't always treated him well, that I've been selfish and made him pay for my bad moods. I've felt like I haven't thought about him. He, on the other hand, has written a book that is a declaration of love. And it's fortunate that most people have empathized with his situation, because that means there have been more of you who have cared for him than those of us who have needed to be cared for."

David

"I never felt you were selfish or taking out your bad mood on me. You asked for reasonable things. And you weren't feeling well, so it's normal not to be so pleasant. Even so, I felt your affection, which helped me, as did talking to my mother very often on the phone (I called her to check on her, because she was also unwell, but mainly because after talking to her I always felt better), with family, friends... and the readers of the comic strip on social media, people I don't know personally, who gave me their support and asked about Ivan. It was very nice."

On the other hand, it's been tough having to work while Iván was hospitalized with coronavirus, but it's something I had to accept a long time ago. Years ago, my grandmother died, and two days later I had a comic strip due. At that moment, I didn't feel like making people laugh, but I had to. Since then, there's been one person, David, and another, David the comic artist. As a freelancer, I couldn't afford to stop working… and my body probably knew it, which is why I didn't catch the virus (or was asymptomatic)!

Aftereffects of COVID-19

Ivan

“I have two types of aftereffects: physical and psychological. The physical ones are minor right now; I still occasionally crack my voice (since I was hospitalized with COVID-19 and on supplemental oxygen due to my impaired lung function, I developed dysphonia, meaning I could barely speak) and I tire more easily when walking, but I no longer get short of breath when speaking, I can sing, I've been able to read a novel again, study… On the other hand, I'm “forbidden” to say I'm fine, because while I'm much better, I'm not well. I have agoraphobia combined with social phobia; that is, I have no problem going out if there are very few people, but I haven't taken the subway since then, or, when I did take the tram one day, where there were fewer people, I had an anxiety attack. This severely limits my ability to return to my pre-pandemic routine, as I'm afraid to go back to work: I would have to take public transport, interact with other passengers…”

Furthermore, I feel a great deal of anger. I don't really know why, but I feel a lot of anger, I get very irritated, and I confront anyone who does something I don't like. Before, I kept quiet.

David

"With each improvement, I felt relief and relaxed, but when she couldn't concentrate on reading or didn't have the strength or skill to write, it worried me a little. I thought, 'What if she can never read anything long again? She won't be able to work again, because her job involves a lot of reading.' Now, thankfully, she's much better in these aspects."

New technologies and the pandemic

David

“I’m a big advocate for technology. I always have been, and even more so after what I’ve been through. I was lucky enough to be able to be with Iván remotely thanks to technology. It also allowed me to stay in touch with my family and friends. It would have been much harder in another era, without mobile phones or the internet. When my mother was in the hospital, since she doesn’t have a mobile phone, it was difficult to manage her being alone, without constant communication.”

Ivan

"I spent many hours alone, and feeling close to your loved ones was very encouraging. Similarly, when I was already feeling better but still had to isolate, being able to distract myself by watching series was very helpful. For quite some time, I didn't have the necessary concentration to read and understand what I was reading, so audiovisual content helped me a lot."

Feeling accompanied

David

"The truth is, all the professionals were wonderful: they called me every day to keep me updated, and I could also communicate with Ivan at all times. The treatment was always excellent. The only disappointment, and it was probably just a product of the moment, was that the protocol was so rigid that it didn't allow us to send him the bag with all the belongings we had prepared to make him more comfortable during his stay. I suppose the frustration of not being able to be with him speaks more than the fact itself, but it hurt a little. Even so, this is the least of it, and I can't say anything bad about all those people who took care of him and continue to take such good care of him."

Ivan

“I have absolutely no complaints. Everyone at Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, where I was admitted, always treated me with such kindness. And by everyone, I don't just mean the medical staff. The cleaning staff, for example, who had to come in so often to disinfect, would stay and chat with me each time, just to keep me company. I remembered everyone's name. Over time, they thanked me for it, because it was also a very difficult time for them. And after my hospitalization, the treatment has also been perfect: the doctor who called me every day for my check-up, who was retired, the speech therapists, the psychologist, the psychiatrist, the neurologist… I have no complaints whatsoever. I am so grateful to all these people and to the healthcare system we have, which leaves no one behind.”

Feelings through art

David

“Three years ago, I would have told you I was in favor of using art as therapy, as something conceptual and theoretical, but now that I’ve seen how well it helps me release what I’m feeling, I say it even more strongly. This publication is the result of an evolution I’ve undergone in this regard, since I’d always been a humor cartoonist. When I started posting my cartoons on social media, I realized that the most popular ones were the most personal, so I decided to open up more.”

Ivan

"Music has saved me. When I get up, and until lunchtime, I listen to music. All afternoon and until dinner, more music. And I sing. That's why at first it was difficult not having a voice to sing with. And it has also helped me in the rehabilitation from the aftereffects of COVID-19, since, to help me regain strength in my right hand, I used a piano and practiced scales."

To see oneself reflected in others

David and Ivan

"We've been told that healthcare professionals are recommending the comic so that hospitalized people can understand the perspective of their families, so that families can broaden their viewpoint, to observe the entire psychological process during the pandemic... We didn't expect it to have such a long reach, since at the beginning it started as a few cartoons to feel closer. If it has also helped and continues to help other people... then all the better."

Images from the comic " Living Together 19 Days" provided by the author.