It has been more than a week since my last blog post and a lot has happened in that time. I was working a long week last week, often starting in the morning and finishing late in the evening. As a doctor, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed our way of working in rather unexpected ways. … Continue reading The new normal: this week’s challenges on the ward
Month: Apr 2020
It is a beautiful day in Edinburgh today. It is about 9 degrees Celsius but there are no clouds in the sky so it feels much warmer. In the sunshine, when you close your eyes you can transport yourself to any distant and warm foreign land. In those moments it is easier to forget that … Continue reading The beautiful, and unintended, side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
10th-12th March 2020 Act I: Friday and Saturday A weekend of night shifts. Night shifts are a curious adventure. The mundane jobs are removed and often you are dealing with the sickest patients in the hospital. For this you need to be wide awake and ready for anything. I arrive on Friday evening quite nervous … Continue reading A series of unfortunate events: A weekend of night shifts
Wednesday 8th March 2020 There is an archivist in us all During the global COVID-19 pandemic we find ourselves in unprecedented times. Our day to day lives have changed dramatically, as have our working lives. This is especially true for healthcare workers across the world. If you have read some of my earlier blog posts, … Continue reading Power of the past: how archives shape our understanding of epidemics
Monday 6th April 2020 An update on our household's scare with COVID-19 Friday 2nd April, 3pm- I had still not heard from occupational health about the COVID-19 status of my flatmate. To recap, we had now been in self-isolation for a little over two days. No news was good news. We could assume our friend … Continue reading One Doc’s Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome story
Global alliances seek to develop a COVID-19 vaccine On March 27th the UK government pledged £210 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to fund the development of a coronavirus vaccine. Bill Gates, a key player in the global health sector, has donated a further $150 million to CEPI for the development of … Continue reading Developing a vaccine for COVID-19: A tale of two approaches
Our household's story A break from our regular, scheduled programming! Yesterday, after work, I arrived home to news that one of my housemates had developed lethargy and a fever. These were worrying signs. My first thought obviously went to possible COVID-19 infection. I was anxious for my friend but I chose not to share my … Continue reading How to get tested for COVID: Our household’s story
One Doc's Story 