Heartbreaking photo: When a doctor hugs an elderly patient suffering from coronavirus

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In a heartbreaking photo, a doctor in full personal protective equipment hugs an elderly patient suffering from the novel coronavirus, serving as a reminder of the human toll and impact of the virus during the holiday season. The photo, taken on Thanksgiving, marked Dr. Joseph Varon’s 252nd straight day of working in the hospital.

“If we don’t do things right, America is going to see the darkest days in modern American medical history,” he said. “My nurses in the middle of the day, they will start crying … When they finish finally getting a patient in, they get a phone call from the ER that there is another patient that is being admitted,” Varon continued. “How have I done it? I don’t know. I’m running out of fumes.” / Go Nakamura / Getty / People mag