Denise
Mourning tried to hold back the tears behind her face shield. The acute care nurse practitioner in Odessa, Texas, was reflecting on the emotional arc of the coronavirus pandemic, one that began with a sense of unity but has unraveled into exasperation.
"At first it was, 'Thank you so much, you're frontline, we appreciate what you're doing,'" she said. "And now, I mean, I'm getting threats."
Mourning is often on the receiving end of frustrated phone calls by patients' family members who aren't allowed to visit the hospital or feel like she's not doing enough.
"I think that it's sad," Mourning said. "We're trying to help, and we're trying to do the greater good. And I want people to know that."
It was a stunning plea for civility as the Covid-19 spread continues to worsen.
