These are eerie, dystopian times that we’re living through at this time. Yes, we hear the birds and its lovely, but we don’t hear the traffic and it seems abnormal and disturbing. Yes, some of us have been given the gift of time, but then there are those who simply cannot afford to receive that gift – they are much too busy trying to simply survive. In all this, we are pinning our hopes and faith in one group of people – healthcare professionals who are literally putting themselves in the line of fire – to keep us all safe from the coronavirus pandemic that is ripping across the world.
In this video, a doctor comes home and his little son runs to him, but he cannot even hug him. He breaks down from the strain. This is heartbreaking. We have always had soldiers who go to the front at the time of war, and fight bravely for all of us. Medical professionals who are working to keep us healthy and heal us right are our soldiers today. They are the warriors who stand between us and a potentially deadly attack.
This is the story right now. Right now, they are being asked to go above and beyond the call of duty and these medical professions – doctors, specialists, nurses, paramedics – are responding in ways that are no less than heroic. Not only are they asked to work punishing hours, but they are also having to isolate themselves from their families, and put themselves directly at risk. They are being asked to do all this while there is still an acute shortage of PPE (personal protection equipment) as well as other lifesaving equipment in hospitals. The risk of exposure to the infection while treating infected patients cannot be stressed enough but many of these professionals carry on; even making do with makeshift or improvised PPE.
If communities are spontaneously bursting into applause for their hardworking, intrepid neighbours – as in the case of this paramedic – such an expression of appreciation is the least we can do.
In fact, we seem to have found a new set of heroes in recent times. As one of the world's leading infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci has become a household name not only in the USA but across the world. He has become known not only for being a thorough expert in his field but also for his calm and forthright demeanour when communicating with the people about the pandemic, numbers and implications. One doughnut shop in New York paid tribute to Dr Fauci by creating sweet treats with the good doctor's face on them.
While we must, of course, be mindful of these soldiers who work tirelessly and make known our appreciation, we need to move beyond such tokenism. We need to acknowledge not only the doctors and nurses but also, very importantly the lab experts, as well as the cleaning staff, the kitchen support staff, security personnel, pharmacists, supply chain workers. And what can we do to help?
Remember we’re all in this together – none of us is safe unless all of us are safe. Though right now we all seem to think, eat, drink and sleep coronavirus; though right now our news is dominated by COVID-19, this too shall pass. Right now we have no clue when, but it will.
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