Last night before I intubated a lovely man with COVID, he insisted on calling his boss to explain why he wouldn’t be into work on Mon. He was so short of breath I had to finish the call for him. In the aftermath I realized how this job was a lifeline for him. It left me unnerved.

More and more this shows me how disparities drive despair. Without financial support essential workers and the marginalized don’t have a real chance at avoiding these risks. These are the people in our unit. Privilege is protective. I’ve known this, but damn, this hits me.

Without meaningful social change, most of intensive care medicine is just a band aid.

So ... to @hakique, @kathryndong, @ehyshka @erdance and all the unsung hero’s who fight for social equity and support of our marginalized populations and for every social worker who’s dug deep for limited resources to the benefit of our patients, I get it.