Doctors Reveal Heartbreaking Reality of Covid-19 Battles in ICU
Dr Carlo Serini Faces Harrowing Truth
Dr Carlo Serini, a seasoned resuscitator, admits things have changed. “Tonight, I approached an elderly man. We had just fitted his breathing helmet,” he recalls. The man looked terrified. When Dr Serini leaned in, the patient whispered, ‘Is it true then? Am I really this serious?’ Meeting his dog-like gaze, Dr Serini knew he had no answers this time.
Patients Die Alone—Doctors Feel the Pain
Dr Francesca Cortellaro reveals the cruelest part of the pandemic. “Do you know what the most dramatic feeling is? Seeing patients die alone. Hearing them beg you to say goodbye to their children and grandchildren.” Covid-19 patients arrive isolated, with no family allowed in. As they near death, they remain fully conscious, aware of their fate.
Final Goodbyes Via Video Call
“It’s like they’re drowning,” says Dr Cortellaro, “with all the time to understand it.” Her last patient was a grandmother desperate to see her granddaughter. “I pulled out my phone and arranged a video call. They said goodbye. She passed shortly after.”
She’s now keeping a “farewell list” — a long roster of these heart-rending calls. She hopes hospitals get more mini tablets to prevent more patients from dying alone. “Three or four would be enough,” she says. “We just don’t want them to face it on their own.”
