Victors, victims, and vectors.

Olson, R. E., et al. (2021). "Victors, victims, and vectors." Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 64(3): 408-419.

COVID-19 has plunged us into times of loss-loss of friends and family, loss of purpose, and loss of a sense of certainty about the immediate future. As we traverse this time of anomie and loss between pre- and post-COVID-19 times, through pandemic surges that threaten to exhaust our resources and seemingly endless troughs of calm, we need to care for each other. Care provided to those in need of hospitalization due to COVID-19 should undoubtedly be prioritized, but we should not forget to care for those who are physically well but suffering, by recognizing the fear and sorrow that flavor changed experiences due to COVID-19. Narratives that reveal challenges and triumphs are central to this kind of care. Frank (2007) argues that care is about "helping people find their stories." We find comfort in telling these stories and in hearing them; recognizing ourselves in another's tale allows us to find meaning in our own suffering. This paper tells the narratives of three health professionals on the COVID-19 frontline.