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COVID-19

‘Lockdown diaries’: Being a New Yorker in Madrid during Spain’s coronavirus epidemic

Daphne Binioris, a native New Yorker living in Madrid for over a decade, is the woman behind "Lockdown Diaries". Here she shares what life is like under lockdown and how collecting and sharing people's personal stories is keeping her grounded.

Published: 15 April 2020 13:59 CEST
'Lockdown diaries': Being a New Yorker in Madrid during Spain's coronavirus epidemic
Perhaps this could work: Daphne Binioris looking out the window in Madrid: Photo by Raphael Hauser

What was your life like just before the lockdown vs. today?

I was busy getting ready for upcoming dance performances, rehearsing every day, and going to castings. I was really nervous about nailing the iconic Dirty Dancing lift, which I was going to perform for a 3,000-person audience at an event in April. I was also training with the theater group Mad Improv and had just landed an (amateur) acting gig.

Now, I’m home. All of my art-related jobs have been canceled and the dance studios I train at are of course closed. I’m trying to keep in shape at home and stretch outside on my little balcony when the sun’s out. I’m also extremely grateful to be able to work remotely, and I’ve been pouring my creative energy into VeraContent and Naked Madrid.

How are you coping? 

Sharing people’s stories has helped me stay grounded. When the lockdown first hit here (a full month ago!?), it was such a strange and unsettling time for all of us, and it was really difficult to describe how it felt to people outside Madrid. So I decided to launch a series called the “Lockdown Diaries” on Naked Madrid. I just asked a few of my contacts to fill out a simple Q&A. As soon as I published the first diary by Cat Powell on March 16th, new submissions came flooding in, and the series took off!

Shortly after “Lockdown Diaries” launched, writer Daniel Catalan came on board and started helping me capture compelling stories from people of all walks of life, from local artists to small business owners. Dan even reached out to a doctor treating COVID patients and interviewed a guy named Travis who was quarantined with his ex! 

With all the ups and downs we’ve experienced this past month (Dan has been stranded alone in the Basque Country this whole time), working on this ongoing series has helped keep us sane. It gives us a sense of purpose, keeps us connected to people, and reminds us that we’re not alone in this.

I’m also coping by binge-watching Netflix series (I highly recommend Sex Education, Pose, and the mini-series Unorthodox), making large pots of ginger tea, dancing every day, and sharing a bottle of wine or La Virgen beer with my partner every night.

How has the lockdown impacted your industry?

The dance world has completely shut down, and it’s devastating. Most artists are in a tragic situation right now… That being said, it’s pretty incredible how dancers around the world are coming together to help each other through this, by live-streaming classes and performances for free. I hope we take this sense of comradery with us after this is all over. 

On the other hand, the content and marketing industry – where my company comes into play – is doing just fine. Our team works remotely year round and collaborates with freelancers all over the world, so it was just a matter of sending a WhatsApp message to let everyone know to stop coming to the office.

Have you noticed any acts of kindness or uplifting things recently?

Of course, tons. What journalist Leah Pattem is doing on her website Madrid No Frills is extraordinary. She’s advocating for people like migrants and the homeless who are in dire situations and receiving almost no help. Please check out her channels and support her if you can.

And so many people are trying to find ways to support small businesses by buying gift certificates, ordering online, and giving them shout-outs on the internet. This hits close to home for me because my family owns a coffee shop in New York City which, of course, is currently closed. Small businesses have been severely impacted and those love letters on social media and kind gestures do help. 

Who are you in quarantine with? Any advice for people in your similar situation?

I’m in quarantine with my two cats and my partner. My advice is to give each other a lot of space. And my best tip: take your phones off the table (and out of sight) when you’re having dinner or sharing a bottle of wine. Also, cats are the best quarantine companions. Now I know what their life is like year round!

Have there been any comical moments in this unprecedented time?

Watching my cats do ninja tricks around the house is pretty hilarious. And getting my whole family on Zoom has been quite entertaining, from the screen freezing constantly to everybody talking at the same time…

What goals are you hoping to achieve as our time in lockdown continues?

Life is funny sometimes. Just a month ago I was getting ready to dance on stage but right now I want to focus on my company and continue compiling stories and insights from people I respect. I’m even launching a new series on another online publication I manage, The Content Mix, which will focus on the takeaways that businesses can carry with them after the crisis has passed. We’ve all had to overcome major obstacles lately, and I think we should make the most of the lessons learned moving forward.

What’s the first thing you’ll do once this lockdown is over?

I’ll go straight to my dance studio, Escuela Mayor de Danza. Then I’ll get a plane ticket and go visit my family in NYC and have a coffee at my family’s cafe, The Hungarian Pastry Shop.

Do you have any tips for how you can help those in need?

If you can help others in any way, that’s wonderful. But my sister told me something recently that I totally agree with: “Just take care of yourself right now and be a voice of reason.” Staying safe and sound during this time is enough. You don’t have to be a hero. You can help later on if you’re not in a position to at the moment.

What’s going on in your hometown and would you like to send them a message?

Stay home, New York.

Daphne Binioris is a native New Yorker who has been living in Madrid for over a decade. She’s the co-founder of multilingual content agency VeraContent and editor of online publications Naked Madrid and The Content Mix. She’s also a professional dancer.

Follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram. Find Naked Madrid on Facebook, IG and LinkedIn and check out all Madrid lockdown diaries

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HEALTH

Respiratory infections soar in Spain over Christmas as hospitals struggle

Cases of viral respiratory infections such as flu, Covid and bronchitis have shot up over the past few weeks in Spain, putting an enormous strain on hospitals across the country and causing a severe lack of beds.

Published: 4 January 2024 12:33 CET
Respiratory infections soar in Spain over Christmas as hospitals struggle

Winter colds and flu are common, but this year Spain has seen a spike in cases of three different viruses – flu, Covid and bronchitis at the same time.

This comes after the festive and New Year period with lots of family gatherings and meetings with friends without much thought for social distancing days of the pandemic.

Rise in cases

According to health services, there are 35 percent more cases of these infections than a year ago, a percentage that is expected to continue rising until the third week of January when the epidemic peak will be reached after more gatherings for Three Kings’ Day on January 5th and 6th.

In a period of seven days, the rates of flu have gone from 532 to 908 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The cases of Covid have also grown from 12.6 percent to 13.6 percent.

The Health Minister, Monica García has published a message on social media reminding the public of the importance of getting vaccinated and maintaining prevention measures, such as ventilating rooms, washing hands and wearing a mask.

The head of the Emergency Department at the Reina Sofía University Hospital in Murcia, explained that the profile of these patients ranges “from young people with flu pathologies who go to the emergency room because health centres have delayed their appointments and people over 80 years old with pneumonia due to the flu who end up being admitted”.

Lack of hospital beds

According to the first vice president of the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES), Pascual Piñera, 10 of patients with these infections end up admitted to hospital overnight and one of the biggest problems staff are facing is the severe lack of beds, “They have nowhere to put the sick”, he explained.

The situation is the same all over the country. Red Workers union of the La Paz University Hospital in Madrid has reported that there are 105 patients pending admission and beds in the hallways are in double rows, “which cannot be evacuated if the patient worsens or there is a fire”.

Delays in primary health care 

Acute respiratory infections not only put a strain on hospitals and emergency rooms, but also primary care centres, causing delays and long waiting times for appointments. 

The spokesperson for the Federation of Associations for the Defence of Public Health (FADSP), Marciano Sánchez Bayle, explains that it is generating a “major traffic jam” in the healthcare system “where appointments are made for very late dates”.

Sánchez Bayle cites the case of the Community of Madrid, where he knows that appointments requested in December were not given until the end of January “which further clogs an already saturated system”. 

The need for greater vaccination rates 

Besides the festive period, many health professionals believe that the situation could be improved if more people were getting vaccinated, specifically against the flu. 

Flu vaccination in Spain is far below the WHO recommendations, hovering around 50 percent of the population at risk, when the goal is 75 percent. And the percentage is even lower in the case of children under five.

According to the Ministry of Health, the objectives for vaccination against flu and Covid-19 for the 2023-2024 season are to achieve or exceed vaccination coverage of 75 percent in older people and health workers, as well as 60 percent for pregnant women and people with at-risk conditions.

Amós García Rojas from Spain’s Vaccinology Association believes that after a few years without flu during the Covid pandemic, society has relaxed.

The vaccination campaign has not yet ended, so there’s still time to get yours before the end of the season. The campaign began on October 15th and ends on January 31st. 

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