Lessons from Spain: Nuggets coach Jordi Fernandez fears coronavirus on two continents

At least three times every day, Nuggets assistant trainer Jordi Fernandez transports to Spain, in which cousins, uncles, aunt, his parents, sister, grandma and friends all grapple with their new reality.

The FaceTime calls supply a little reprieve for both Fernandez, 37, who’s watched as the yanks from afar at the threads of their own nation. On Wednesday, Spain’s death toll surpassed that of China, where the virus originated. At 5,690 deaths and climbing, Spain trailed Italy, in which the outbreak had claimed 10,000 lives heading to Sunday.

Last week Madrid transformed a ice rink to assist keep bodies since the homes and hospitals have been overwhelmed. The catastrophe in Europe, considered to be two weeks before the United States, offered an indication of what would come our way.

Fernandez’s parents live with his grandma at a 1,000-square-foot apartment in his Badalona, at the corner of the nation. Independent and healthy, his grandma lived by herself until she was 88 years old.

“You devote a whole lot of time out lsquo & all year; round, and now & ’s no longer permitted,” Fernandez said of Spain’s & shutdown. “They& & rsquo;re that portion of the populace that’s, they have a whole lot of danger since they’re older than 60, and my grandma is almost 90, and they all have had some type of heart condition. Minor, but they’ve had it, so that’s one of the reasons it’s pretty scary. ”

Fernandez’s roots run deeply in his state. He’s got friends who are healthcare employees — doctors and nurses — who have been on the front line fighting the virus. Among his friends traveled to Madrid, contracted the illness and is now in an intensive care unit.

“He was at home for like a week or so,” Fernandez stated. “High fever, and it got to the point at which he or she couldn&rsquo. ”

Another one of his friends can also be at the hospital.

“And so are guys who are older than me,” Fernandez stated. “Theyrsquo;re in their early thirties. ”

Nuggets newcomer Vlatko Cancar has a direct connection with those at that age demographic. Before coming to Denver this year, Cancar spent two seasons playing San Pablo Burgos at Liga ACB. He explained as they browse the shutdown, he & rsquo; s tabs ex-teammates.

“A lot of these are not really Spanish players, therefore that it ’s hard for them because they could ’t return to their own families,” he explained. “Even the team s actually encouraging the players. Trying to deliver out a message there this is important, not only on your own, but everybody around you. ”

At exactly the identical time his nomally nation grinds to a halt, Fernandez is heartened if he sees that the fix in his or her people. Fernandez mentions those volunteering to manufacture oxygen devices or masks. Perfume firms are cited by him. DJ’so musicians entertaining the masses, about balconies, spontaneous work outs to entertain the nervous.

“I believe you’re viewing all the police officers enter associations, with their sirens to say thank you to them, and also a lot of folks clapping at a certain period of the day just to encourage all the nurses and doctors,” Fernandez stated. “That attracts a nation together.

“When I see it , it’s pretty tough since you’re far away, and at exactly the exact identical moment it’s concerning as we don’t understand how it’s going to hit us ” he explained. “We would be deceiving ourselves if we believe that everything will be fine in a couple of weeks. ”

Fernandez worries he’s not a physician, nor a specialist about the virus. He has is understanding of what occurs when there is a nation captured blindsided by a pandemic. He’s hoping that the hard lessons learned in Madrid and Barcelona may help the storm which keeps escalating from the United States.

First, Fernandez considers in the enforcement of the stay-at-home mandate which was issued in Colorado last week. Back in Spain, police can fine citizens if they don’t have certifications to proceed to work or if they take a vehicle to the supermarket rather than walking, he explained.

“And that’s the only way people listen and really execute the strategy is either when you alright them or when they’re really fearful,” Fernandez stated. “And I believe rsquo, we &;re at there. … It feels like this we get this messaging, & ‘Hey, there’rsquo & s a 5 o;clock curfew, and nobody could leave the house. ’ But whoinform you , & lsquo and & rsquo; s going to come after you;Hey, you can’t be outside. ’ Like, we’ve got the military on the roads at this time. Not just the police officials. Everybody is currently helping. ”

Added Cancar: “I had a friend punishing whoever is outdoors, basically and then send me videos of police on the roads. ”

Fernandez lauded Spain’s answer to the homeless, with warehouses and convention centers transformed to accommodate living conditions. The Associated Press reported a college in Barcelona had been converted to temporarily lodge the displaced too.

“They can’t be walking and getting infected and infecting other individuals,” he explained.

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Fernandez is also worried about the healthcare employees that were overwhelmed. He said Spain has devised an email program because they could & rsquo to keep families in touch with patients ;t be together with them. Rather than relying to maintain the phone to keep families Fernandez suggested cameras may help facilitate the distance.

“A lot of folks they&rsquo and they’re dying ,” he explained. “And if you ready that (system) ahead of time, I’m fairly sure you could do something about it. Otherwise, it’s going to become a huge (problem). All of our doctors and physicians, theyrsquo;re going to suffer from, it’s almost like moving through a war. Your mental health it’s certainly affected. ”

Stateside, Fernandez has occupied his time with assorted player tests, and he’s participated in international online coaching clinics to keep him thinking the game. However there’s no avoiding rsquo & the catastrophe that;s upended some semblance of ordinary life.

“I would ask everybody to stay home and only do so, not on your own, but for everybody else,” Fernandez stated.



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