Opinion: Too many Covid-19 patients face death alone. Vaccinated volunteers could change that

I got my first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine on Dec. 16, and was surprised at the feeling of relief, hope, almost exhilaration it brought on instantly. It was an unexpectedly emotional experience. It’s been more than two weeks since my second jab so I am, in theory, pretty well immune to Covid-19.
Shielded behind an N95, visor, gown, and gloves, I reckon I’m now about as safe as I can be. So when my day’s work as an anesthesiologist is done, I’ve started sitting with Covid-19 patients. At first I tried chatting with them, but when someone is breathing 30 times a minute through an oxygen mask, it’s difficult to be a great conversationalist. Now I talk to them, hold a hand, get them water, arrange their pillows. Sometimes I just sit there because I have this nagging, incompletely explored belief that just a human presence, someone bearing witness to their ordeal, has value. Afterward, I call the family because they are victims of this virus too. Read the rest…