Just over three years ago, New York City reported its first confirmed death from COVID-19. Many more followed, with over 20,000 New Yorkers dying in the devastating first wave alone. They were our relatives, friends, and neighbors.
As with so many other health workers, the memories of that time — the unimaginable suffering and tragedy — are seared in my brain forever. The freezer trucks used as portable morgues; the chaotic din inside the hospital, juxtaposed against the eerie silence of the streets; and the unsettling fear we felt, for our patients and our families.
