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An intensive care doctor has written a touching letter amid the coronavirus outbreak, telling those most at risk: “We have not forgotten about you.”
Matt Morgan, a consultant in intensive care medicine and a honorary senior research fellow at Cardiff University, penned the open letter in a bid to reassure those who may have to be treated for Covid-19.
Addressing the “elderly, frail, vulnerable, or with serious underlying health conditions”, he wrote: “We will hold your hand, we will be there.”
It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday that “many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time”.
Almost 800 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the UK, and 11 have died.
Writing in the BMJ – previously known as the British Medical Journal, Dr Morgan said that doctors will continue to treat everyone affected, and will continue to care.
The letter, signed on behalf of the Intensive Care Unit, reads: “To those who are elderly, frail, vulnerable, or with serious underlying health conditions, we have not forgotten about you.”
It goes on: “Although we have fancy machines, powerful drugs, and talented staff, none of these things cure every disease.
“All they do is give us time – time to work out what is wrong, time to hopefully treat it, and time for people to get better.”
It goes on: “As difficult as this is, we will be honest. We will continue to use all of the treatments that may work and may get you back to being you again.”
Dr Morgan, who authored the book Critical about life as an intensive care unit doctor, concludes: “And if these things are still not enough, we will sit with you and with your family.
“We will be honest, we will hold your hand, we will be there.”
