Stories in the Time of COVID-19

Abstract

The time of COVID-19 is the time of storytelling - stories of chaos, loss, and despair, but also of victories large and small, acts of kindness, and deep connections. Stories are a way to pass on meaning from one person to another, among communities, and across generations. COVID-19 stories are being used in the education of physicians, but for whose benefit and to what end? What if the "heroic" frontline worker is experiencing burnout or working out of necessity rather than by choice? What if the battle against an invisible enemy does not end triumphantly but becomes an interminable war of attrition? It is important not only to propose new questions but also to create spaces for stories that do not fit conveniently into standard narratives. Stories help foster the energy and drive to write about what is next and to act as physicians in the service of human beings and their lives.