As we start off the new year, we are optimistic that things will be better. However, this optimism is tinged with a range of emotions that are hard to describe. There is fatigue—more mental, but also physical—that is difficult to shake after almost a year of isolation and only Zoom-type connections. For healthcare providers the fatigue is to a point of exhaustion. There is also a deep sadness about the tragedies of 2020: the lost lives, the loss of livelihoods, plus the suffering and personal crises of so many, including those suffering “long-haul symptoms” after being infected with COVID-19 or mental health issues lasting for six months or more.

Read Dr Durie's Blog