Grandfather. So close, so far.

Miguel, 90 years old, at his home during the fourth week of a total lockdown in the Spanish town of Uharte, Navarre. After covering a story at the local newspaper where I work, I went to visit my grandfather, Miguel, who lives alone at home. We stood together in the entrance of his building. We pressed our hands against each other, separated by a narrow sliver of window. A very warm greeting through the glass. Spain became one of the most affected countries by Covid-19 with more than 55.000 officially recognized deaths. The vast majority have been over the age of 80 years, forcing elderly across the country into isolation in hopes of evading the deadly contagion. The loneliness of old people has been one of the emotional consequences of the pandemic.