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Health Care Worker’s Audio Diaries In On The Library Of Congress

The deadly coronavirus outbreak that took place in 2019 is still going on not only in one country but all over the world. Countries around the world have been trying to take control of the deadly virus, but it has been difficult in controlling the virus for the past two years. Because of this pandemic, so many people around the world have lost their families, friends, and even their lives.

Health Care Worker’s Audio Diaries In On The Library Of Congress

This deadly virus attack is more dangerous than a terrorist attack. So many people have lost their jobs and the world economy has dropped and it might take a year or so to get back to normal only if we control the spread of this virus.

The United States of America stands top of the list that has the highest number of infected cases and deaths. The current reports show that the total number of infected people in the United States is more than 3.3 crores and the number of deaths caused due to this is more than 9.4 lakhs. Even though the country has been taking all the safety measures and following guidelines, it has been difficult in controlling the spread of the infections. However, after taking the vaccinations, the reports suggest that the number of new coronavirus cases is under control and has not been spreading like before.

It is widely known that the United States of America has practiced racism for a long period, even though it is banned now, some of them practice it even now in the United States. This practice has made the people of other communities to be scared of things like not being treated well and many more. These people have faced racism everywhere in schools, colleges, the workplace, and even in public places. This has mode they not to trust anyone. 

As per the recent reports, the Library of Congress has acquired a digital archive of the real-time impressions of more than 200 frontline healthcare workers documenting the country’s descent into the coronavirus pandemic. Calvin Lambert, a fetal medicine fellow, recalled how a Black pregnant woman who came in for a check-up became irate and became scared when he tried to give her a covid-19 test and she thought that the nasal swab itself would give her the virus. Calvin being a Black himself, mentioned that he learned to understand the deep distrust that the patient had and that many patients who are Black have for the medical system.

The audio diaries from the health care workers like Lambert were collected by the Nocturnists, a medical storytelling project, for its stories from a pandemic podcast series, which ran in the spring of 2020. This podcast is a collection of more than 700 stories that documented the chaotic conditions in overwhelmed hospitals as the medical workers struggled with their stress, exhaustion, and grief. The digital archive will be housed in the library’s American Folklife Center, which has housed a collection of oral histories dating back to World War I, including the testimonials from 9/11 first responders and survivors from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The Folklife Center director called the collection really a remarkable gift and also mentioned that the audio medium and the intensity of the environment created deep intimate and exhausting portraits. She also mentioned that you can hear their voices, the sounds at their workplace, the exhaustion in their voices, and the big and small ways they try to cope and contribute. One of the practicing internists and a founder of the Nocturnists mentioned that she couldn’t imagine a better home for her audio library. These audio clips capture various raw emotions of numerous health care workers in the first few months of the covid-19 pandemic and will serve as a historical document for future generations.

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