Breathtaking

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When the once-in-a-century pandemic struck, it didn’t matter that it was predicted; we ambled into disaster. In early 2020, mild concern rapidly escalated into panic. Economies plummeted, schools and workplaces closed, and societies shut down. The scale and pace of the upheaval were unprecedented. As a palliative care doctor, Rachel Clarke found herself spending more time in hospitals than hospices. Unable to share the intensity of her experiences with friends and family, she began writing at night about her and her colleagues' struggles. Her narrative reveals how the health service responded to the crisis. Upon reflecting on her writing, she discovered that amidst the overwhelming darkness, there were moments of light. The reduction of human contact highlighted its preciousness and the impact of even small connections. This account captures life, death, hope, and fear, showcasing medicine at its most vulnerable and its most heroic. It portrays the courage of patients facing immense adversity, the stress of balancing patient care with family safety, and the anxiety over the adequacy of PPE. This is a powerful depiction of medicine during the coronavirus pandemic, characterized by resilience and determination.