Every minute is a day : a doctor, an emergency room, and a city under siege

An urgent, on-the-scene account of chaos and compassion on the front lines of ground zero for Covid-19, from a senior doctor at New York City?s busiest emergency room ? "Remarkable and inspiring . . . We?re lucky to have this vivid firsthand account."?A. J. Jacobs, bestselling author of? The Year of Living Biblically? When former? New York Times ?journalist Dan Koeppel texted his cousin Robert Meyer, a twenty-year veteran of the emergency room at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis in the United States, he expected to hear that things were hectic.? On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being overwhelmed, where do you think you are? ?Koeppel asked. Meyer?s grave reply?100?was merely the cusp of the crisis that would soon touch every part of the globe.? ? In need of an outlet to process the trauma of his working life over the coming months, Meyer continued to update Koeppel with what he?d seen and whom he?d treated. The result is an intimate record of historic turmoil and grief from the perspective of a remarkably resilient ER doctor.? Every Minute Is a Day? takes us into a hospital ravaged by Covid-19 and is filled with the stories of promises made that may be impossible to keep, of life or death choices for patients and their families, and of selflessness on the part of medical professionals who put themselves at incalculable risk.? ? As fast-paced and high-tempo as the ER in which it takes place,? Every Minute Is a Day? is at its core an incomparable firsthand account of unrelenting compassion, and a reminder that every human life deserves a chance to be saved An urgent, on-the-scene account of chaos and compassion on the front lines of ground zero for Covid-19, from a senior doctor at New York City’s busiest emergency room “Remarkable and inspiring . . . We’re lucky to have this vivid firsthand account.”—A. J. Jacobs, bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically When former New York Times journalist Dan Koeppel texted his cousin Robert Meyer, a twenty-year veteran of the emergency room at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis in the United States, he expected to hear that things were hectic. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being overwhelmed, where do you think you are? Koeppel asked. Meyer’s grave reply—100—was merely the cusp of the crisis that would soon touch every part of the globe. In need of an outlet to process the trauma of his working life over the coming months, Meyer continued to update Koeppel with what he’d seen and whom he’d treated. The result is an intimate record of historic turmoil and grief from the perspective of a remarkably resilient ER doctor. Every Minute Is a Day takes us into a hospital ravaged by Covid-19 and is filled with the stories of promises made that may be impossible to keep, of life or death choices for patients and their families, and of selflessness on the part of medical professionals who put themselves at incalculable risk. As fast-paced and high-tempo as the ER in which it takes place, Every Minute Is a Day is at its core an incomparable firsthand account of unrelenting compassion, and a reminder that every human life deserves a chance to be saved..M.F "An urgent, on-the-ground account of chaos and compassion from the front lines of COVID-19, from a New York Times journalist and a senior doctor at New York City's busiest emergency room. When Dan Koeppel texted his cousin Robert Meyer, a twenty-year veteran of the emergency room at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in the United States, he expected to hear that things were hectic. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being overwhelmed, where do you think you are? Koeppel asked. Meyer's grave reply--100--was merely the cusp of the crisis that has since touched every part of the globe. In need of an outlet to process the trauma of his working life over the coming months, Meyer continued to update Koeppel with what he'd seen and whom he'd treated, their exchanges acting as part diary, part family therapy, and eventually a document of historic chaos and grief. Combining the frontline perspective of an ER doctor and a journalist's discerning research and reporting, Every Minute Is a Day takes us into a hospital ravaged by COVID-19, filled with the stories of promises made that may be impossible to keep, of life and death choices for patients and their families, and of selflessness on the part of medical professionals who put themselves at incalculable risk. As fast-paced and high-tempo as the ER in which it takes place, Every Minute Is a Day is at its core an incomparable firsthand account of unrelenting compassion and a reminder that every human life deserves a chance to be saved"-- Provided by publisher With this debut, emergency room doctor Meyer collaborates with journalist Koeppel to tell a personal account of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the narrative predominately revolves around Meyer's story, it also includes vignettes from interviews with several other doctors, nurses, and medical assistants, to indicate the wide range of U.S. health care workers' experiences. Meyer recounts the pandemic from the period before it was identified, through its emergence in the United States, the virus's terrifying uncontrolled community spread, and concern about the long-term repercussions of COVID-19. The co-authors argue that forging personal connections is vital to practicing emergency medicine, and they impart health care providers' efforts to compensate for the myriad ways that personal connection was hampered by pandemic precautionary measures. The book isn't only a document of trauma; it also notes moments of joy, like when medical staff discovered new treatments with better patient outcomes, or when Meyer's mentor survived after contracting the virus. "When Dan Koeppel texted his cousin Robert Meyer, a twenty-year veteran of the emergency room at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in the United States, he expected to hear that things were hectic. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being overwhelmed, where do you think you are? Koeppel asked. Meyer's grave reply - 100 - was merely the cusp of the crisis that has since touched every part of the globe. Every Minute Is a Day takes us into a hospital ravaged by COVID-19, filled with the stories of promises made that may be impossible to keep, of life and death choices for patients and their families, and of selflessness on the part of medical professionals who put themselves at incalculable risk."-- Provided by publisher