Emergency room doctors drenched in sweat and critical care nurses scrambling for protective equipment have quickly come to personify the heroism and tragedy of the coronavirus pandemic.
Like the ash-covered firefighters of Sept. 11, we’ll remember these health care workers and their sacrifice and resilience on the front lines long after Covid-19 fades away. They put themselves in harm’s way, often without the necessary equipment to protect themselves or the resources to treat many of their patients.
Why do these professionals risk their own health — and their families’ — for the greater good? And what toll has it taken?
If you’re a health care worker confronting the spread of the coronavirus, we want to hear from you. We invite you to share your story below and submit a photograph of yourself or a video responding to our questions. If you prefer to share in one format, please choose one.
We may publish your response and a Times reporter or editor may contact you to hear more about your story. If you submit a video, we may feature it in an Instagram Story on @nytimes.
Want to contribute? Please complete this form.
Media guidelines
PHOTOS
We want to see you on the front line of the coronavirus fight. Send us a photo of yourself as you get ready for a new day or a picture of yourself at the end of your shift.
To see examples, browse these other selfies from medical workers.
When taking your photo, please:
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Dress how you dress for your job.
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Position yourself in front of a window or outside, so that sunlight falls onto your face. If there are bright lights on behind you, please turn them off.
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Look into the lens.
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Tap your face on the phone so the camera will focus and expose correctly for your face.
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Photos should be head-and-shoulders or waist-up portraits.
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If possible, or helpful, ask someone to hold the camera for you.
VIDEO
In your recording, we’d like you to respond to these three prompts:
1. Tell us your name, age, where you’re from and what you do.
2. Tell us about the most intense experience you have had fighting Covid-19.
3. How has the coronavirus outbreak affected you, i.e., what sacrifices have you had to make to do your job?
When taking your video, please:
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Hold your phone upright to shoot vertically.
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Keep your response to each question under 15 seconds.
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Position yourself in front of a window or outside, so that sunlight falls onto your face. If there are bright lights on behind you, please turn them off.
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Look into the lens.
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Tap your face on the phone so the camera will focus and expose correctly for your face.
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Leave a small bit of room above your head and aim to include at least your head and shoulders in the frame.
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Record somewhere with limited background noise so we can hear you clearly.
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If possible, or helpful, ask someone to hold the camera for you.
We may feature your video in an Instagram Story on @nytimes.
