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
Author: Manveer Rahi
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
Monday 30th March 2020 'Hot' and 'Cold' With the recent dramatic rise in the number of coronavirus patients there has been a seismic shift in the pattern of patients admitted to hospitals and an increase in the demand for hospital beds. From my own ongoing experience I can attest to this. In my hospital there … Continue reading Using military tactics to fight the war against COVID-19
Saturday 28th March 2020 Protecting healthcare workers during a pandemic Whilst much of the nation has been instructed to stay at home for the sake of others during this pandemic, healthcare workers have been rallied to march to hospitals and clinics en masse. The increasing cohort of healthcare workers include some 25,000 additional final year … Continue reading Protecting healthcare workers during a pandemic
Thursday 26th March 2020 A tale of kindness The alarm goes off at 0630. I get out of bed knowing that today I do indeed have work, unlike my unnecessary trip to the hospital yesterday. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, check our yesterday's blog for a good laugh...) I start the work … Continue reading Dealing with a pandemic on a budget
Wednesday 25th March 2020 One (Silly) Doc's Story The day started at 0630 with my alarm jarring me awake. I hit the snooze button for a further ten minutes rest before eventually resigning my fate to get up for work with the second alarm. A run through my morning routine in autopilot before dashing for … Continue reading COVID-102
One Doc's Story 