Photo: Go Nakamura/Getty Images
A heartbreaking photo out of the US of an elderly COVID-19 patient wrapped in the arms of a doctor has gone viral.
The image is of Dr Joseph Varon as he comforts a man suffering from COVID-19 in an intensive care unit in Houston, Texas, as the nation celebrated Thanksgiving.
Getty Images photographer, Go Nakamura, took the heartbreaking photo as the elderly patient buried his face in Dr Varon’s chest.
It was the US doctor’s 252nd day straight taking care of coronavirus patients at the United Memorial Medical Centre where he is the medical Chief of Staff.
In an interview with CNN, Dr Varon said “America is going to see the darkest days in modern American medical history” over Christmas if it doesn’t change course fast.
Texas has recorded more than 1,220,000 cases and 21,500 deaths in the pandemic to date.
“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,” Dr Varon told the publication.
The image has sparked an outpouring of emotion around the world, attracting thousands of likes and comments on social media.
“My heart just broke into a million pieces. As humans, we know what that person is feeling,” one Instagram user commented.
“Doctors and nurses are heroes. God bless them all… thank you for your service,” another commented.
