Coronavirus: Image of this exhausted nurse goes viral

"It was a moment of despair." This is how nurse Elena Pagliarini from northern Italy describes a photo of herself that her colleague Francesca Mangiatordi took of her and posted on Facebook. The photo shows Pagliarini, who has fallen asleep with exhaustion with a face mask and smock at her desk. The reason: the coronavirus is pushing the medical and nursing staff of the hospital in Cremona, where she works, to their limits.

Great sympathy from other people affected

The photo went viral within a very short time and was picked up by several Italian media. Pagliarini has meanwhile commented on the photo in an interview with "Corriere della Sella". Initially, the young woman was "very embarrassed" to "find her photo in all the newspapers," said the nurse. She was initially ashamed, but after the publication, she also received a lot of messages from people who could identify with the situation.

The photo was taken at the end of their shift at six in the morning, as Pagliarini says: "It was a moment of despair, the shift was almost over and I felt helpless." Therefore she "cried very hard" and then "collapsed". Nevertheless, Pagliarini takes her work, which she does with a lot of passion, for granted. If need be, she could also work 24 hours a day. Fear is worse. According to her, doctors and nurses are currently "fighting against an enemy I don't know. I can't wait for that to end."

People, but somehow also heroes

Her colleague Francesca Mangiatordi also speaks in the interview with the newspaper. With the photo, she wanted to show "that we are only human. And despite the fast pace these days, we always find the right motivation and energy to continue."

We can only take our hat off to the incredible commitment of all these doctors and nurses these days and say: Thank you for your valuable work!