Huma Farid is an obstetrician-gynecologist.

The resilience of children throughout the pandemic isn’t what you think

Physician
October 7, 2022

“Don’t forget your masks!”

This phrase has been the daily refrain in my household for my children for the past two years. Masking became as natural as wearing a coat in the winter, and going without a mask would have seemed as strange as going to school barefoot.

The new school year has just started for us; my five-year-old had her first day of kindergarten, and my seven-year-old started second …

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The resilience of children throughout the pandemic isn’t what you think

I go on because I must: for my patients and for my children

Physician
January 20, 2022

I stare at the sharply rising line in front of me, its stark outline harshly highlighting the data–data that shows that we are in the midst of yet another surge. That graph haunts me, intruding upon my thoughts, hovering at the edges of my life. I hold my breath, not knowing when this sly encroacher will become an intruder that will disrupt the normalcy of these last few months, …

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I go on because I must: for my patients and for my children

There was life before COVID, but we are not yet at the point of life after COVID

Physician
October 1, 2021

Each weekday morning, without fail, I awake to two texts.

One is a symptom checker from my hospital.

The other is a symptom checker from my son’s elementary school.

They serve as a persistent reminder that the pandemic isn’t over, even if we would all like to pretend that it is. In fact, my morning routine is filled with reminders that the pandemic isn’t over: as I pack masks for my children (with …

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There was life before COVID, but we are not yet at the point of life after COVID

Potty training during a pandemic

Conditions
March 27, 2020

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11th. Shortly thereafter, the governor of Massachusetts declared a state of emergency and recommended social distancing. Schools and daycares across the state closed. My hospital responded by postponing elective procedures and encouraged physicians to reschedule non-urgent patients in the clinic.

Across the country, within the span of a few days, people’s personal and professional lives were completely disrupted. As I scrambled …

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Potty training during a pandemic