'COVID-19: Faces of Resilience' portrays heroes of the pandemic
In her series "Faces of Resilience," German photographer Claudia Paul portrayed the staff of the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
At the pandemic's front line
Amid the coronavirus crisis, New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital asked photographer Claudia Paul to portray the clinic staff as they fought to save the lives of COVID-19 patients. In the midst of the chaos, Paul captured intense moments showing health care workers from behind the scenes. Here, a doctor is getting ready for work.
'Important work in historic days'
Claudia Paul, a German photographer who lives in New York City, was "nervous about going to a clinic while this invisible threat was rampant," she told "The Luupe." But she knew that documenting the historic events in the clinic was important work. Here, nurses discuss the condition of a patient in the COVID intensive care unit.
Emotional moments
"There were many emotional moments that I will never forget," says Paul, who has been living in the United States for 18 years. "It was often difficult, but there was also this fantastic spirit of resilience and teamwork. Everyone looked out for each other. My time in the clinic made me realize how important our health is." Nurse Simone can be seen here seeking strength through prayer.
Humble health care workers
"I was very surprised at how humble the clinic staff are and how much they appreciated that we took their pictures and asked for their stories," Paul said, adding: "They don't see themselves as heroes. They just do what they have to do. It's their calling." This Mount Sinai Hospital worker was photographed at the end of his night shift.
Pausing for hope
This nurse is also praying for her patients in the COVID-19 intensive care unit. Documenting the hospital staff's everyday work inspired Claudia Paul to also portray them more formally. The photos include a quote from the people portrayed on how they experienced the events. The series make up the photo exhibition "COVID-19 / Faces of Resilience," now on show in Tübingen.
'Trish, emergency nursing'
"In the midst of all the chaos, I had a moment where I realized that this was why I went into nursing," reads the text in this photo. At the height of the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, thousands of people died of COVID-19 in NYC within days. Space in the morgues was becoming scarce, and it was hardly possible to treat the dead with dignity.
'Steven, engineering'
"My most memorable moment was seeing people realize that COVID-19 was not merely another virus," recalls the Mount Sinai Hospital engineer. At the beginning of the pandemic, former US President Donald Trump tried to downplay the threat of the coronavirus, which led the US to lose several crucial weeks in the fight against the virus.
'Jennifer, pharmacy'
At the peak of the crisis in New York City, health care workers were all overworked and strained: "Our staff banded together and became even stronger, despite being exhausted and stretched very thin at times," says this emergency doctor.
'Maurice, information technology'
The series "COVID-19 / Faces of Resilience'" by Claudia Paul is on show from May 5 through September 18, 2021 at the German-American Institute in Tübingen. A virtual tour of the exhibition is also accessible through the website, www.dai-tuebingen.de/covid.