December 4, 2020, 11:07 am
A photo of stockpiled iPad stations ready for a potential flood of people who will need to say goodbye to their loved ones remotely while dying of COVID-19 is providing a grim 2021 preview on Twitter. The image was originally posted by an ER doctor who says they are being prepared by a fellow healthcare worker he knows personally.
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“These are iPad stations being prepared for virtual ICU end of life visits by a palliative care doc I know,” he wrote. “Jesus.”
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The photo has received over 110,000 likes and over 34,000 retweets, along with many comments offering their stories about loved ones they had to say goodbye to this way.
Due to the highly infectious nature of COVID-19, hospitals cannot allow loved ones to be with these patients even when it becomes clear that they’re not going to survive. Stories from people who have been forced to say goodbye to friends and family over the phone while they faced death in an isolation room have abounded in 2020.
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The best many hospitals can do now is to provide tablets so that at least their patients can see their loved ones one last time, even if it’s just through a screen. As case numbers in the U.S. continue to skyrocket following months of the Trump administration downplaying the pandemic and failing to pay people to stay home, forcing millions back to work, this tragedy is looking to play out many more times.
While many right-wing figures brag about attending large family gatherings for Thanksgiving, others share their stories of having to say a virtual goodbye to family members who didn’t survive the virus.
“I had to do this with my mother. She wasn’t even conscious, hooked up to the ventilator,” said one commenter. “Worst thing I’ve done in my life behind seeing her lifeless in a casket. People that still call this a hoax can truly f— off. It didn’t have to be like this.”
“On Monday my boyfriend said goodbye to his mother on an iPad. He didn’t get one last hug or simply hold her hand,” said Twitter user Mac Ring. “He sat behind glass & held an iPad to try and prevent doing the same goodbye with his elderly father. I have rage. I can’t even be sad yet because I’m just so angry.”
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The U.S. added over 218,000 new COVID-19 cases to the pile on Thursday alone, as well as close to 3,000 deaths. Nearly every state continues to experience out-of-control spread of the virus. A new relief bill from congress looks very unlikely to provide stimulus payments to individuals.
*First Published: December 4, 2020, 11:07 am
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