Voices from the Pandemic

Portrait of F.T. Kola.

First Person

How I Survived

Writer F.T. Kola recounts her battle with COVID-19 and its aftermath.
Illustration depicting the search for a coronavirus vaccine.

Ask the Expert

Seeking Immunity

What will it take to produce a coronavirus vaccine?
Robert Wachter, MD, sitting in his home, working on a tablet, with a computer in his lap, and his dog by his side.

First Person

Tweeting a Pandemic

How a UCSF leader used social media to advance the public’s understanding.
Illustration depicting a physician or scientist with a telescope with a coronavirus symbol.

Ask the Expert

Five Big Lessons

Insights from the world’s response are already taking shape.

Community Matters

UCSF Nurses gather in Oakland for a Black Health Matters protest; a male Black nurse in a white coat and face mask stands with female nurses, holding a sign that reads “Abolish” in graffiti style; a large mural of George Floyd’s portrait is in the background.

Feature

An Epidemic of Inequality

Confronting the root of why people of color have been hit hardest by the coronavirus.
Illustration of silhouettes of two people touching foreheads, with a coronavirus symbol above them.

Feature

When Telehealth Came to the Tenderloin

Can cell phones help people with severe mental illness survive the pandemic?
Portrait of Margot Kushel

Thought Leader

Homelessness in the Time of COVID-19

What the pandemic reveals about housing and health.

Meeting the Moment

Portrait of Annie Luetkemeyer.

Frontliners

The Clinical Trial Leader

Annie Luetkemeyer, MD, tests promising therapies for COVID-19 – and soon, a vaccine.
Portrait of Sajan Patel wearing a face mask in the hospital.

Frontliners

The Hospitalist

Sajan Patel, MD, remembers anxieties and revelations while caring for the Bay Area’s first coronavirus patients.
Portrait of Alicia Catanese in nurse’s scrubs.

Frontliners

The Navajo Nation Volunteer

Surgical charge nurse Alicia Catanese, RN, volunteered to help the Navajo Nation cope with its COVID surge.
Portrait of Abie Stillman in his custodial uniform.

Frontliners

The Custodian

Abie Stillman shares his reflections on essential work and what he would like from the public instead of another thank-you.
Portrait of Faranak Fattahi in the lab with a face mask on.

Frontliners

The Stem Cell Biologist

Why are more men than women dying from COVID-19? Scientist Faranak Fattahi, PhD, has found a clue.
Portrait of Joseph Kidane.

Frontliners

The Medical Student

With campuses closed, Joseph Kidane serves with hundreds of his fellow medical students in a volunteer crisis workforce.
Portrait of Kelly Timothy.

Frontliners

The ICU Nurse

Kelly Timothy, RN, cares for some of the Bay Area’s sickest patients – and their families.
Portrait of Maria Raven in the ER, with surgical mask and eye goggles on.

Frontliners

The Emergency Medicine Chief

Maria Raven, MD, takes charge of the hospital’s first line of defense.
Portrait of Kenny Banh in an N95 mask and goggles, inside a tent.

Frontliners

The Fresno ER Doc

Kenny Banh, MD, fights both COVID-19 and inequity in the San Joaquin Valley.
Portrait of Katie Craft with a face mask and protective eyewear on her head.

Frontliners

The Child Life Specialist

Katie Craft helps young patients grapple with new fears.
Portrait of Alex Smith, with his computer in the background.

Frontliners

The Palliative Care Expert

Alex Smith, MD, guides the families of COVID patients through the hardest decisions of their lives.
Portrait of Monique Posey with her headset on and computer in the background.

Frontliners

The Call Navigator

Monique Posey fields questions about the pandemic. She shares her story – and some of her strategies for coping with stress.
Portrait of Katherine Yang with the pharmacy in the background.

Frontliners

The Pharmacist

Katherine Yang, PharmD, raced to get a new, lifesaving drug approved for emergency treatment.
Portrait of Max Rausch in scrubs and a face mask at the hospital.

Frontliners

The Respiratory Therapist

A skilled ventilator operator, respiratory therapist Max Rausch helps keep the sickest patients breathing.
Portrait of Emily Silverman.

Frontliners

The Physician-Storyteller

Between shifts at San Francisco’s public hospital, Emily Silverman, MD, collects audio diaries from health workers.

Alumni Hub

Read more

Portraits of five UCSF Alumni in face masks and shields.
  • Alumni Hub

UCSF Alumni Confront COVID‑19

We asked alumni to share their pandemic stories. Here’s a selection of submissions.

Inside UCSF

Visit UCSF News Center