Waiting for COVID: a podcast by Lucy O'Hagan

How well do you remember those early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when New Zealand watched in apprehension as overseas the virus spread uncontrolled in Italy, health workers died on the job and morgues ran out of room for the bodies of the dead.

Specialist GP and writer Lucy O’Hagan remembers.

In Waiting for COVID, Dr O’Hagan takes a personal journey back through her writings and observations of “COVID times”, reflecting on what the virus and the country’s reaction meant for primary care and beyond.

Lest we forget, Dr O’Hagan reminds us there was a time when the team of 5 million saved the lives of thousands.

“We watched the news and we knew the virus was ravaging beyond our shores. It was a strange sort of waiting - holidaying but tense, safe but threatened, waiting our turn for vaccines because we're nice like that, and then when COVID came it was Omicron and even though it overwhelmed the health service and people died, it was not as bad as it would have been…”

The podcast is written and read by Dr O’Hagan and directed by Stuart Devenie. It contains material appearing in New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa and Corpus. It recorded by Mirrors Audio was supported by the Wellington faculty of the RNZCGP,

You can listen to the podcast on the link below or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or download here tinyurl.com/WaitingForCovid