On the Frontline of COVID-19: Diary of a Doctor

In March 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, junior doctor Ed Hope documented his experiences working on the frontlines of COVID-19 in London, England. Beginning on 16 March, Hope’s vlog opens with optimism, which gradually shifts to resignation as the realities of the pandemic take hold. He describes chaos in the emergency department caused by public misconceptions and inequitable access to testing and personal protective equipment, noting that even football players had easier access to testing than healthcare workers at high risk of infection. Interspersing footage of his daily life, Hope also includes insights from other medical professionals, such as his landlord, a consultant anesthetist, who reflects on the personal toll of the crisis. As the month progresses and cases surge, Hope’s appearance visibly changes—he loses weight and smiles less—mirroring the physical and emotional strain of his work. The toll of treating COVID-19 is compounded by the inability to critique institutional inefficiencies. Hope likens the experience to a “bad horror movie” (Hope 11:19), where initial whispers of a monster escalate into a haunting confrontation.