Unsung Heroes

COVID-19 affected every single aspect of our lives. At first, no one would have thought that a virus could disrupt human life in such a manner. Statistically, 150,000 people lost their lives due to the disease in Iran. Many jobs got canceled, education continued through online methods, visitors to cinemas, theaters and libraries decreased and many people suffered economic difficulties.

At the peak of the pandemic, when people were overwhelmed by panic and ambiguity of the news about this newly emerging phenomenon, I visited different hospitals and took photographs due to my journalistic duty to cover the situation and news of the pandemic.

My first time, in April of 2020, the peak of the first wave, I found myself taking photos in a weird multi-layered jumpsuit, two masks, a protective shield and a pair of gloves, in the middle of COVID-19 ICU, by the sides of patients who were dying every second. In my first visits to medical clinics, I took photos of patients and reported about their situations but soon people who were taking care of them caught my attention.

It was in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic that nurses’ effectiveness became apparent more than ever. These people stood in the front line of this fight, occasionally for days or weeks, deprived of their most basic rights such as visiting their families. According to statistics, more than 100 nurses lost their lives due to COVID-19 in Iran.

There are 19 nurses for every 10,000 people in the population of Iran and this number is lower than WHO standards. It’s been reported that nearly 500 nurses emigrate from Iran every month. This photo collection pays homage to and represents a portrait of a few of these exhausted but strong guardians of those singular times. People whose income hasn’t been and isn’t worth their efforts at all.