Andres Maldonado was a healthy, 27-year-old E.R. doctor in NYC with no health conditions. Then he caught #Covid19 -- and was soon in his own hospital's I.C.U. His colleagues fought to save his life, weeping as they did so. I dare you to read with dry eyes: nyti.ms/3aSa1ru
This column came about because when I was reporting in Bronx hospitals a few weeks ago, I heard of a young doctor deathly sick with Covid. People lowered their voices speaking of him, and his struggle cast a pall over the E.R.'s. It took a while to untangle Andres's full story.
It's also a reminder of the risks that doctors, nurses, PAs, techs, respiratory therapists and cleaners take because America bungled the coronavirus response. We let them down. At least 145 health care professionals have died of the coronavirus in the U.S. We owe them.
Huge thanks to my @nytopinion colleague @AStocktonFilms for putting together the companion video, and to @mikirby for shooting it. And to @MontefioreNYC for letting us into its hospital to shoot the video, at a time when it's so difficult to get permission to report in E.R.'s.
