Amid the Black Lives Matter protests happening worldwide, it’s easy to forget that the world is still fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite hospital staff in New York battling one of the most heavily infected areas, they’re still showing up to stand in solidarity following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police.
Despite the long and tireless hours spent at work, as well as risking their own lives to care for coronavirus patients, nurses are heading straight from their shifts to the demonstrations to help protestors who have been injured, pepper-sprayed and tear-gassed.
A video posted to Twitter, by user Joshua Potash, shows several healthcare workers at a Minneapolis protest, equipped with supplies. “This is amazing,” the tweet read.
RELATED: Diaries From The Field Is The Powerful Nurse-Led Movement That We All Need To Get Behind
Another video, shared by Sarah Walton, shows medical staff standing outside a hospital in New York City to show support to protestors while still on shift. “Hospital staff come out to applaud #GeorgeFloyd protestors in New York – demonstrators shout back ‘Thank You’,” she wrote.
marie claire spoke to frontline doctors and nurses to get an insight into Australia’s fight against COVID-19.
“It is like preparing for a war you’ve never fought,” said Royal Melbourne Hospital Nurse Unit Manager of Intensive Care, Michelle Spence. “I’ve been in this ICU for 23 years, a manager for about 12 years and involved in things like Bourke Street and Flinders Street [terrorist attacks] and train crashes but I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
In Australia, thanks to our isolated geographical location we’ve been granted the luxury of having time to prepare. We’ve also had the benefit of observing how COVID-19 has unfolded overseas and the chance to take notes on the vital strategies that have (and haven’t) worked to weather the storm.
Since the pandemic began to unfold, many organisations and new initiatives were founded to help support medical workers aptly titled “heroes”.
Adopt A Healthcare Worker is working to mobilise anyone who can support healthcare workers on the frontline.
Diaries From The Field is a social media movement, sharing real-life stores from nurses fighting on the front lines of COVID-19.
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