It's a bittersweet scene captured at Milan's Central Railway Station, at the global epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis.

With more than 800 deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus and 12,000 infected in Italy, the northern region of Lombardy, which includes Milan, is by far the hardest hit, with 617 deaths as of Thursday.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has extended a severe lockdown to the entire country, with all shops, restaurants, cafes and bars being ordered to close, with the exception of grocery stores and pharmacies, until March 25.

Amid the chaos and uncertainty, this photograph recalls Gabriel García Márquez" epic 1985 novel Love in the Time of Cholera. In one form or another, this current "plague" will find its place in the annals of literature.

Milano Love in the Time of Coronavirus © Daniele Mascolo / Xinhua / ZUMA Wire

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