As massage therapists, we have chosen to be a particular kind of human. The kind who puts the safety and health of the people we serve ahead of our own preferences and politics.

I recently spent a few days working with palliative care colleagues in the intensive care unit. One patient I was not able to support due to a personal protective equipment (PPE) shortage was a 38-year-old man being treated for COVID. He was vaccinated but had previously undiagnosed health challenges that made him vulnerable to complications. The resources it took to care for him were astounding. He was the only patient on the unit being treated for COVID, but it was not hard to imagine the impossible task of caring for a unit filled with such patients. Sedated, ventilated, clinging to life—every moment a potentially fatal turning point.

If you’re feeling bored or finding yourself rolling your eyes at “yet another COVID story,” snap out of it. COVID is very much alive, and it is still very much our responsibility as people who care for people to... care for people. 

Click here to read the full column.