PARIS – During their daily morning round of the intensive care unit, hospital staffers and medical students pause outside room No.
10, abruptly emptied of the patient who lost his nearly month-long battle against COVID-19 the previous evening. The man died at 6:12 p.m., the medic leading the briefing tells the group.
There is a short hush. And then they walk on.Even for ICU workers for whom death is a constant — and never more so than this year — witnessing the loss of a fellow human being to the virus can be a churn of emotions.
For their own good and for their patients, they try to remain detached. They have coping mechanisms. Meditation or talking helps for some.