10 Pics That Show The Reality Of COVID-19 At Hospitals, Captured By This Photographer
For so many of us isolated in our homes, the fight at the Covid-19 frontlines remains a mystery. We're unaware of the energy and sacrifice the medical staff devote to combating the pandemic as well as all the suffering it has demanded from the ill.
Go Nakamura, however, is here to give us a better understanding of the situation. The Houston-based photojournalist who relocated to Texas just over a year ago has visited the United Memorial Medical Center more than 20 times since May, documenting everything that goes on in the COVID ward.
As the coronavirus death toll in the United States on Monday surpassed 300,000 people, let's hope that these images will raise our collective sense of responsibility and remind us to do everything in our power to stay safe.
(h/t buzzfeed)
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Nov. 26. Dr Joseph Varon Comforts A Patient With Coronavirus Disease. I Am Grateful To Witness A Wonderful Moment And I Thank All The Medical Staffs For Their Hard Work Even During The Holiday Season
I saw an interview with this doctor. The patient was missing his wife. You could see in his eyes, the exhaustion and heartbreak for the whole situation. This is an amazing human. He was happy to announce the man he comforted recovered. He was able to go home.
That’s a really good update. It’s still sad to think of how the husband must have felt in that moment though.
Load More Replies...I’m an icu nurse and the reality is worse than this. This is a truly devastating disease.
Bless you and your colleagues, JenJen. You are the miracle workers.
Load More Replies...@Vlad Nicer, nice to meet you! It seems to me that you have a grave reserved for you when you die, specifically from COVID and idiocy. COVID is killing so many people, young and old. The lockdowns are implemented for your safety and others' safety, but if you want to kill yourself and others, go keep saying your f*cked up nonsense. And @Lis Daglish, you rock!
Thank you Wolfstar. I’ll catch up with you on another post. This post should simply be left to the genuine rockstars it honours.
Load More Replies...This knocks the breath out of me.... every time I hear someone downplay this disease I want to rip out their hearts with my bare hands.
That's what people are always forgetting: It is a horribly lonely death.
I've seen this picture on TV with the caption that the patient was upset because he missed his wife. It makes me cry every time I see it.
"In the Covid unit, they usually have 20 beds. The first time I visited, the beds were almost full, and then as I went back over the summer, they expanded the ward so that by now, it's about 30 beds," Nakamura told BuzzFeed.
The photographer has to be fully covered in personal protective equipment before he starts shooting inside the Covid ward, and there are a few rules he has to follow too. For example, Nakamura cannot take pictures of things that would identify the patient. "When I go into the Covid ward with the doctor, he asks the patient for me if I can come in with him. Many of the patients are unconscious, but those who are conscious will say no or yes. Those who say no, I wait outside. For those that say yes, I have been strictly instructed that I should not take a picture of the faces of the patients, so every time I take a picture, I hide their faces behind the devices, IV pumps or electrocardiograms. I think if I could just show the faces of the patients, it would be a much stronger photo and much easier for me to frame. So it is a challenge."
A Medical Staff Member Rests In Front Of A Fan In The Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit On June 30 In Houston
My wife is a medical worker. I love my wife. I love her more for what she does, not ashamed to admit it.
All that PPE and the constant physical workload must make it super hot and uncomfortable, on top of the mental stress.
When it all started, I had to xray patients outside, in full PPE, I'm 90 degree Florida heat. I was often seen doing this too when I was done
When Nakamura is in the Covid ward, he feels his adrenaline pumping but he must hold it together and focus on shooting. When he gets out of the hospital and looks at the pictures on the computer screen, that's when it all really hits me so hard.
"I have access to trauma resources through Getty, and the doctors and nurses themselves have been so helpful. The very first time I went into the nurses station at the hospital, Dr. [Joseph] Varon came to the door and invited me in, and started to introduce me. The medical staff were talking and laughing with each other, and I thought this is a very good environment, a fun workplace, and five minutes later, the doctor turned to me, looked directly into my eyes with a very serious face and said we try to laugh off everything because otherwise you would go crazy."
A Medical Staff Member Grabs A Hand Of A Patient To Reposition The Bed In The Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit On Oct. 31 In Houston
You can only see the hands of this person, but you can tell the disease and treatment are hard on their body.
The front-line workers are all these patients have to find security in... how lonely....
Nakamura said he's doing this job because he wants people to know what is really going on inside the hospitals. "It is very rough inside. I am not a medical specialist, so I am not used to seeing the harsh stuff. Sometimes I want to cover my eyes, but I have to take the photo, and I want the people to know how others are struggling — of course the patients but also the medical workers," he said, adding that the hospital staff are exhausted.
"I think that Dr. Varon has been working for more than 260 days straight, and the nurses since the beginning of summer with no days off. They have been working so hard. If I can get the pictures out there, and I appreciate that many people can see these, I want to let them know what is happening inside, and what they can do to improve the situation."
Members Of The Medical Staff Rest In The Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit At The United Memorial Medical Center On July 2 In Houston
This is a very powerful image. I can't even imagine how some people can still say it's just a flu...
Or not wear a mask and call mask-wearers "sheep"
Load More Replies...Notable that even when they are resting, doctors / nurses / medical staff are still supporting others. It isn’t a job for the weak.
The problem w the pics is your seeing trained med staff that work w corona infected patients violating corona protocol..side by side/ no mask etc...like wtf physicians..heal thyself
At our hospital we have “dofficers” - You have to don & doff your PPE in front of a dofficer to make sure you do it the correct way and in the correct order.
Load More Replies...What I don’t understand is how the naysayers have not had anyone in their lives affected by this disease!?!
Why is it that helath workers always have to half kill themselves at work? In my country, too: Insanely long shifts that no, absolutely NO office drone woudl ever accept.
my mother is a nurse, i can't imagine if she in the same condition.
Medical Staff Member Jaqoues Bistre Varon Flips A Patient In The Prone Position In The Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit On Dec. 7
Is it laying on the belly? Are there pillows with a hole or how does that work? And why is it better?
Load More Replies...That’s just so sad to see. Blood is on the hands of Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell.
That’s right. He’s totally checked out from reality. The bastard needs to be jailed.
Load More Replies...Iv Pumps And Electrocardiogram Machines Are Seen In A Patient's Room In The Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit On Dec. 7 In Houston
And we can thank the NURSES for the care they are receiving, because a doctor truly could not rig this up
Yes, my late husband was an RN in ER, Flight and ICU for many years. It's amazing how technical the job is, and you are right that a doctor normally has no clue how to set this up (they're crap at CPR too, which ICU nurses can do in their sleep).
Load More Replies...That’s a lot of effort going into saving this person’s life. They are unlucky to get covid but they are quite lucky in a sense, to have such aggressive looking treatment / monitoring. I hope it helped them.
Looks like a regular day on the job, for many nurses. Now you know why Nurses are consistently voted the most reliable in all job categories.
Medical Staff Wearing Full Ppe Push A Stretcher With The Body Of A Patient Who Died Of The Coronavirus To A Car Outside Of The Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit On June 30 In Houston
I see these pictures as if they are from a war zone. And the deniers say "war. what war?"
Wow. This one really hit me hard. My Dad passed away on August 18, 2014 from advanced lung cancer & he died at home (after a blessed only 4 months). The "Neptune Society" came to collect his body & this burgundy corduroy covering was the same. I had held it together until I saw them taking his body to the van - and then just lost it. God bless these workers.
There is this. Truth. Science. Life. Covid. Death. Then there are covidiots still thinking that bleach is a better option and have been convinced that this was lab made just for the USA <- this country is SO racist Or worse, those who think that Covid is pure media makebelieve. Masks violate their "civil rights". I again implore them to read the Constitution since they do not know what civil rights are. They throw trumpertrantrums (yes I love that new one), and incite violence. But if they get Covid, it has nothing to do with their OWN STUPIDITY. I have been on lockdown since January and wash EVERYTHING that passes the threshold of my house. Including mail. I have left 3 times. A mammogram - The Veterinarian and to VOTE HIM OUT!
Members Of The Medical Staff Treat A Patient Who Is Wearing A Helmet-Based Ventilator In The Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit On July 28 In Houston
if you stay inside as much as possible, you most likely will not. :)
Load More Replies...I would rather have this helmet ventilator than be intubated, though.
Load More Replies...If you do get it you will more than likely only have mild symptoms. I've had it, my husband with heart failure had it. I'm not saying to be complacent at all, just try not be fearful.
That’s not a bad attitude. Fear is bad for the immune system too. Still, it is scary. I’m glad you and your husband recovered though! What does it feel like to be part of the group of people who had covid and were kind of a part of history now? Do you worry about your future health at all? Just curious.
Load More Replies...Medical Staff Member Gabriel Cervera Rodriguez Closes His Eyes While Taking A Short Break In The Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit On Dec. 2
3 members of my family acquired severe coronavirus and only made it alive because of the great, great help of all the doctors and nurses at the hospital. I cannot emphasize enough just how much we owe the medical workers. THANK YOU!!!
David I am so very glad your family members made it through stay safe...
Load More Replies...You get used to sleeping like that, and then you stand up and... Yeah, don't close your eyes.
Medical Staff Members Treat A Patient In The Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit On Nov. 10 In Houston
Yes, some people carries their photos to make it better for patients. I guess seeing all personal in PPE should be really scary
Load More Replies...Teresa, I think it is the wife of the guy with the patient. He probably hasn't seen his wife in awhile. Some of the staff sleep right here in another room during shifts.
Teresa, I think it is the wife of the poor guy. Probably hasn't seen her in awhile.
Bumped into an old friend while walking my dog (we stayed at a distance) and he said 'I still think this Covid thing is some kind of hoax'... Sorry, meant to say 'bumped into an ex-friend and covidiot'.
This is sad. But it does make one question their values when it comes to choosing friends.
Load More Replies...Look what these folks are wearing day in, day out for long shifts, in hot rooms, doing physical work. Now tell me how much your cute little fabric masks makes you uncomfortable for your 30 minutes in the grocery store.
COVID deniers and anti-maskers should be forced to listen to these people, to see first hand what is going on at hospitals.
Load More Replies...Well, it's just a 'theory', after all.... /gentle snark
Load More Replies...Just a little side note to this. My husband works at a hospital (he's a house plumber, not a medical worker), and when someone recovers from covid, and is being discharged, they play "Here Comes the Sun" over the intercom system. It's not much, but it keeps up morale.
He is as important as the Doctors and Nurses! Thank him for helping to keep things "flowing" smoothly!
Load More Replies...The sad thing is that it is the same all over the world. The conditions in third world countries are worse. Yet some people believe that the disease is a hoax. I salute the people who are doing every bit to save our lives. They deserve applause and respect
What I really don't understand is, what do this covidiots think is the reason for this hoax. Why are so many countries willingly destroying their economy
Load More Replies...These types of images should be all over the news media. Not yet more photos of trump looking stupid/angry/distant. There are people in the US (and around the world, to a lesser extent, I assume) who still think this is no big deal or even a hoax...
I was watching some British news channel yesterday and holy shįt they get so much more information than we do in the USA. Like the news was breaking down all of the virus mutations in each county. Crazy. We haven’t heard a damn thing about community specific mutations in the US. Fûck even community specific, we haven’t heard much of anything about mutations at all! I hate the media in this country.
Load More Replies...ICU nurse from UK, I could relate to these pictures,trully heartbreaking. We became somebody's mom, dad, sis, bro whilst holding a dying patient's hand.
This illness is very serious and I wish that people would stop saying that it isn't. My father doesn't have to avoid going outside for the flu, but he has to do it for COVID19. At the restaurant I work at we have to take our temperature every day and some of the deliveries I take are contactless. We didn't have to do this with the flu. Please stop comparing this horrible virus to the flu. They are not even close to each other.
Deanna woods, first I so agree with you, you're spot on. I just looked up statistics, and I don't understand what this guy is trying to get at. It looks like according to fullfact.org, about 25,000 people died from the flu in the UK in 2019. So far they've had roughly 65,000 die from covid. Unless this guy doesn't get math that is SIGNIFICANTLY higher. So clearly he's NOT taking the pandemic seriously.
Load More Replies...Bumped into an old friend while walking my dog (we stayed at a distance) and he said 'I still think this Covid thing is some kind of hoax'... Sorry, meant to say 'bumped into an ex-friend and covidiot'.
This is sad. But it does make one question their values when it comes to choosing friends.
Load More Replies...Look what these folks are wearing day in, day out for long shifts, in hot rooms, doing physical work. Now tell me how much your cute little fabric masks makes you uncomfortable for your 30 minutes in the grocery store.
COVID deniers and anti-maskers should be forced to listen to these people, to see first hand what is going on at hospitals.
Load More Replies...Well, it's just a 'theory', after all.... /gentle snark
Load More Replies...Just a little side note to this. My husband works at a hospital (he's a house plumber, not a medical worker), and when someone recovers from covid, and is being discharged, they play "Here Comes the Sun" over the intercom system. It's not much, but it keeps up morale.
He is as important as the Doctors and Nurses! Thank him for helping to keep things "flowing" smoothly!
Load More Replies...The sad thing is that it is the same all over the world. The conditions in third world countries are worse. Yet some people believe that the disease is a hoax. I salute the people who are doing every bit to save our lives. They deserve applause and respect
What I really don't understand is, what do this covidiots think is the reason for this hoax. Why are so many countries willingly destroying their economy
Load More Replies...These types of images should be all over the news media. Not yet more photos of trump looking stupid/angry/distant. There are people in the US (and around the world, to a lesser extent, I assume) who still think this is no big deal or even a hoax...
I was watching some British news channel yesterday and holy shįt they get so much more information than we do in the USA. Like the news was breaking down all of the virus mutations in each county. Crazy. We haven’t heard a damn thing about community specific mutations in the US. Fûck even community specific, we haven’t heard much of anything about mutations at all! I hate the media in this country.
Load More Replies...ICU nurse from UK, I could relate to these pictures,trully heartbreaking. We became somebody's mom, dad, sis, bro whilst holding a dying patient's hand.
This illness is very serious and I wish that people would stop saying that it isn't. My father doesn't have to avoid going outside for the flu, but he has to do it for COVID19. At the restaurant I work at we have to take our temperature every day and some of the deliveries I take are contactless. We didn't have to do this with the flu. Please stop comparing this horrible virus to the flu. They are not even close to each other.
Deanna woods, first I so agree with you, you're spot on. I just looked up statistics, and I don't understand what this guy is trying to get at. It looks like according to fullfact.org, about 25,000 people died from the flu in the UK in 2019. So far they've had roughly 65,000 die from covid. Unless this guy doesn't get math that is SIGNIFICANTLY higher. So clearly he's NOT taking the pandemic seriously.
Load More Replies...
