Lisa Ray Instagram – Posted @withregram • @indiaculturalhub “ Why go to a gym when you have PPE’s?” I’m 26 years old and I’m currently working at King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai Once we wear our PPE, we do not remove it for the entire shift – be it food, water or going to relieve ourselves. As such, we stop drinking water an hour before our shift, which does not help with the dehydration for when we perspire (courtesy Mumbai’s humidity) owing to the ACs being shut as we need to provide ventilation with the windows. This leaves us dizzy and feeling faint. Wearing a mask with a proper seal makes breathing difficult – adding to our light-headedness. When our shift is over, the first thing that we do is run for the water bottle and drink like a camel. Oh, what a sweet luxury that is! The past two weeks have been to say the least -Scary! it is disheartening to see how terrible things are! Our wards are overflowing.It has been a tough time for everybody. I’m currently under a lot of stress with my final MD exams also coming up, so once I’m done with duty, I come back home, sleep and then spend the rest of my time studying for my exams. The stress is so much that these days I don’t get sleep, despite being how tired I am, unless I take sleeping pills. My very first Covid duty last year is etched in my memory as rock-bottom. From 2 in the night to 8 in the morning, we lost 15 patients who had come in too late. One of these patients was a 37-year old male; it was devastating to see the loss of a life gone too soon. It was truly the most eye-opening experience of this pandemic for me – realizing the gravity of the situation and the battle that lay ahead. My family is foremost in my mind as I step out to work everyday. My partner has been my unwavering rock – we both had contracted Covid last year through the course of my duty, and the risk of contracting it again through this is high – but she has never once complained. We WILL get through this. We WILL come out on the other side. We’ve got your back :)” @doctor.agni