The scene takes place in the middle of the 22-million city Mexico City just before the restrictions that shut down society begin to ease. All businesses except grocery stores and pharmacies have been forced to close, as have schools and many parks.

A couple of months earlier, I met Avelina and Marcelino in Nezahualcóyotl outside Mexico City. She has been forced to close her hair salon, but her husband's small patisserie is still open - it's all about food.

They think they can hold out for maybe two more months. I know that even with an optimistic assessment, the pandemic will not be over so quickly, but also that they have no plan for how the rent will be paid if the crisis drags on.

"I do not want to think about it. We can go home to the village and live on tortillas and beans ", says Avelina.

Toned down the risks - but was forced to turn

When the pandemic struck, President López Obrador tried for a long time to tone down the risks, aware that an already shaky economy could be hit hard by a shutdown.

At the same time as the United States lobbied for the factories in Mexico to continue production, on which the neighbor to the north depends, the death toll began to rise. Soon the government swung and several states imposed strict restrictions, with closed shops, limited alcohol sales and cordoned off streets.

But the support for the people who make a living from selling food or stuff on the street or in public transport was lacking, as was the support for those who lost their jobs.

Worried about the kids and the rent

More than half of Mexico's population works in the informal sector, completely without safety nets and margins. When my friends with education and good jobs saw their salaries halved as they were forced to cut back on working hours and prevented from coming to the office, many others could not possibly stay at home.

Most people are more worried about not being able to feed their children or pay the rent, than about being infected with that abstract disease that everyone is talking about but which many still doubt if it is for real.