Several weeks ago, Dr. Craig Spencer wrote a twitter thread titled “A Day in the Life of an ER Doc - A Brief Dispatch from the COVID-19 Frontline”. We posted the entire thread in the diary - “A Brief Dispatch from the COVID-19 Frontline by Dr. Craig Spencer”.
Dr. Spencer and the news-site AJ+ recently put together this short animated film scripted largely along the lines of that twitter thread. Narrated by Dr. Spencer, the result is a fascinating first hand view of the frontlines of this battle which very few of us experience.
It is a poignant, frightening and eye-opening view inside a COVID-19 hospital as seen through the eyes of Dr. Spencer. It is also a gut-punching view into the emotions of these ER doctors and nurses as they struggle with the helplessness they feel as patients are taken of life-support, while they try to find words of comfort for the families who cannot be present during the last moments of their loved ones’ lives.
Dr. Craig Spencer is Director of Global Health in Emergency Medicine at Columbia Medical and New York Presbyterian Hospital and Faculty in Forced Migration & Health at Mailman School of Public Health. Craig Spencer helped fight the West African Ebola outbreak in 2014, and then himself contracted the disease.
Please steel yourself as you watch the close-to-6-minute film and let’s all be thankful that we are sitting at home while watching this. Let’s plan for what lies ahead. Let’s make sure we take every step possible so that we or our loved ones do not get to meet someone like Dr. Spencer in an emergency ward.
There was another insightful twitter thread by Dr. Spencer which we covered in diary “When the coughing stops and the sense of helplessness begins - Dr. Craig Spencer”. I would not be surprised if they make a similar film using that thread.
Some reactions
TV Appearances
Dr. Spencer frequently appears on TV and has taken an active role in educating the public about COVID-19 and its public health consequences, in an apolitical way, although he has often been critical of the trump administration. His twitter site is chock-full of useful information.
Here he is on CNN talking about a coming second wave, about vaccines and social distancing. The prospect of a second wave must weigh heavily on doctors like him.
He even appears on Fox, hoping to educate a few trump supporters about the reality of COVID-19.
Epilogue
This pandemic is far from over. Many more lives will be lost as trump and his cohorts open up states and folks start pretending that it’s all over and it is back to business as usual.
Let’s do all we can to protect our loved ones — young and old. Let’s follow all the guidelines on staying home, social distancing, washing hands, getting tested if you notice any symptoms, etc. We will get through with this, in spite of the spite shown by Republicans to humanity.
Let’s be grateful to the doctors, nurses, health workers and hospital staff who are risking their lives so we can live ours; let’s help them by staying home and not getting sick. They need our support, as they work tirelessly knowing very well that there is a long road ahead and many of them will not survive.
Let’s share this film far and wide — among friends and family and on social media.
And let’s strengthen our resolve to do everything we can to educate the electorate about the truth about COVID-19 and to send the cretins in the White House and Congress packing home (or to jail) this November.