Virus without borders: How Juárez is grappling 6 months into the Covid-19 pandemic

CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) -- Gabriel Cardona takes pictures for a living.

He captures moments in time. Now he wishes he could go back to when things were normal.

His wife Pati died of Covid-19 in May. She battled for 15 days in the hospital. In her final moments she was on a ventilator. Gabriel never had the chance to say goodbye since no visitors are allowed in the hospital.

"It was an overwhelming feeling," Gabriel said in Spanish. "To this day, loved ones are still in shock that she's gone."

Gabriel said he would take proper precautions and wear a mask when he would go to work. He's a news photographer.

He doesn't know how exactly he got the virus. He dealt with a fever, aches and pains. But his symptoms got better after a few days. That wasn't the case for Pati.

"What I miss the most is her smile," he said. "When she would turn around and look at me, she had a sparkle in her eyes. It was special. I miss her so much."

Pati is one of more than 800 people who has died of Covid-19 in Juarez. The city has hundreds of more deaths than El Paso, even though El Paso has thousands more confirmed cases.

"The problem is, for every test you do, there are likely 10 to 30 more people who are infected," said Dr. Hernandez, a physician at a public hospital who asked that we not reveal his full name.

Dr. Hernandez said his hospital lacks supplies and personal protective equipment. Often times patients come into the hospital too sick to be treated, he said.

"The most frustrating part is knowing that a patient will likely die no matter how you treat them," he said.

As a father of two, he said his biggest fear is losing his family. It's something he sees all too often at his hospital.

"These patients die alone. Families are unable to say goodbye," he said.

There are so many people in Juárez who don't have the luxury of working from home.

Aurelio Garcia has been a street vendor for decades. When the pandemic hit, he transitioned from selling churros to selling face masks.

"The most popular one is the Cowboys one," Garcia said in Spanish.

He sells it for 50 pesos or a little more than $2. His work can be grueling, but he said the past couple of months have been the hardest for him.

"It's crazy," he said. "I do what I can to protect myself."

For the past six months, border crossing restrictions have been in place. American citizens are allowed to cross back and forth. Mexican nationals can only cross for essential reasons -- things like school, work or medical purposes.

"This virus, it doesn't have borders," Cardona said. "Life has to go on, but we have to make sure we live with caution."