If the ship goes down, they may very well drown too

The Centers for Disease Control decided today that, when a coronavirus vaccine becomes available, at-risk healthcare workers will get some of the first shots. As well these exhausted heroes should.

Here's Kari Jerge, MD (@kari_jerge) reporting what recent weeks have been like for her in the COVID ICU.

For months, healthcare professionals have been hanging on to the guardrails of the top deck of the Titanic.

We have been screaming at the top of our lungs that there is an iceberg dead ahead and begging the captain to turn the wheel.

We have had other passengers who are in the food hall and can’t see the iceberg from where they are standing mocking us accusing us of lying about the iceberg.

“There is no iceberg. You’re seeing things”

“Even if there is an iceberg it is smaller than predicted based on available models”

“You’re getting paid to claim there is an iceberg.”

We are on the ship too. So we are watching the ship approach an iceberg knowing full well that we are going down with the ship.

Do we keep screaming? Even though nobody is listening? Do we jump ship and save ourselves? The water is freezing and we don’t want to desert our fellow passengers.

Do we gather up the other passengers who can see the iceberg and form a human shield to take the impact on ourselves? Do we bum rush the captain and demand he turn?

Or do we stand still, silent, frozen in a state of fight or flight? Paralyzed with sheer terror.

Never in a 14 year career would I have imagined I would see this day....

She has plenty more to say, both about COVID denial and about surpassing grace in moments of horror.