Day one. The calendar sheet "February 29" of 2100 looks at me dejectedly, and the second hand seems to be moving on the clock for an eternity. 12:27. Over the last hour, the number of infected has exceeded the mark of 1,128 people. The number of deaths was 29, and only 50 people were able to overcome this disease. It's a shame…
"I need to work more," flashed through my head. I'll just make some coffee and go to the ward. What kind of mug is this already? One, two, three... six. Seventh. My favorite number. "Okay, it's not a lethal dose yet, there's not much to be afraid of yet," I said aloud with a note of self-deception. A doctor should know that excessive coffee consumption is harmful. Although in view of the current situation, this is not something to worry about at all. The number of patients is growing by the minute, so the sooner I get back to work, the better it will be for everyone... even me.
Day two. Yesterday turned out to be a very difficult day, at the end of it I completely forgot about the diary. I can't afford the luxury of a minute of free time, so most likely my recordings won't be regular. Over the past day, I managed to sleep for an hour and a half. I think it's definitely a success. However, otherwise there is no reason to rejoice. Hospitals are in dire need of medical staff and devices for artificial lung ventilation. If the second one can still be obtained somehow, then it is much more difficult to find workers, which is why you have to work hard. I don't want to be shy, but that's the reality. My colleagues and I are not working in shifts to save others, but are holding our feet for now. During the week, the head doctor of our department lost consciousness from overwork. Now he is in a satisfactory condition. He'll be back soon. Work.
Day five. I didn't promise to keep records every day, right? Although who am I trying to justify myself to? Today, the government extended the quarantine period and took tougher measures to prevent the spread of the new virus. Schools and other public places were closed, movement around the city was restricted, events were banned, even funerals: they were buried in silence and in burrows like rats. The streets were deserted. Store shelves too. From the stories of friends, a new disease does not allow even those lucky ones who have not personally encountered it to breathe in peace. Succumbing to fear and panic, people buy up all stocks of cereals, pasta and toilet paper, leaving the poor, in every sense of the word, the elderly with nothing. "Animal instincts," my colleague said today when I shared with him the situation happening outside the windows of the hospital. We have become brief in our expressions. The pandemic has hardened us so much. There is no time for something that does not benefit in the fight against this monster. Maybe that's why I decided to keep a diary: you need to talk to someone, otherwise you won't go crazy for long.
Day six.
14:32 It has become more difficult than ever to navigate in time space, so in order not to get lost at all, I will mark the time of the recordings. My notes are gradually gaining notes of happiness. I managed to get more sleep today than in all the previous days combined. It's amazing that the result of the help manifests itself so quickly. The number of patients is still growing. At the moment, the number of cases across the country is 2093 people.
22:54 Devices for artificial lung ventilation fail and fly off to the landfill one by one. The shortage of workers is habitually increasing. The authorities promised to increase the salaries of doctors, but what does it matter about these pieces of paper when we pay with our lives?
Day seven.
I think I moved to work. I haven't left the hospital for the third day. I eat and, if possible, sleep here. Yes, it is not the best place for routine – among the infected, but the road home and back is time, and it is worth its weight in gold in our harsh difficult times, however, like all devices that treacherously fail. "Right now you had to hang out, right? Stupid piece of hardware, damn you!" Because of this "infection", nerves are on edge, and if I still physically hold on, then seeing patients off on my hands to another world under the yoke of public horror, the psyche can barely stand it. There are not enough workers, and there are more and more new outbreaks of the disease. Our country has officially turned to neighboring Powers for help. We can only wait patiently and hope for the best. Speaking of hope… Every day the number of non-believers among the entire medical staff is decreasing. Pleas and appeals to someone from above are heard at every step, and it is not surprising. The only frightening thing is that people closely connected with science, henceforth rejecting the existence of otherworldly forces, gradually give up and ask for help "from there". I didn't think that I would ever be happy that I was alone at home. Many of my colleagues have families and relatives whom they do not see for days, and some for weeks. And I have no one to worry about, no one to miss. Except for a quiet life, but this is incomparable with the mental anguish of family people. Especially mothers who abandoned their children and rushed to save other people's lives at the cost of their own. As a person who will never understand and will not share their suffering, it remains only to repeat: "Let it be over as soon as possible." Amen.
Day eight. The situation is heating up. Today, when the sun has not yet had time to rise, news came from a neighboring city. Their pediatrician got sick, got infected with a virus from a patient. Suits, respirators and gloves no longer protect. The head of our department decided to carry out disinfection. All cleaning and detergents, rags and sponges, mops and brooms were used. The usual cotton towels have not been used for a long time, so they were simply replaced with rolls of disposable fabric, even if it is not economical. While cleaning, someone turned on the radio to listen to the news about what was happening outside the window. None of us had left the workplace in the last week, so it was interesting, although we did not expect consolation. The professor of the N University spoke, shared his opinion. He believes that the percentage of hospitalization in Italy was unacceptably high. "In the north-west of the country, 66% of patients with detected coronavirus infection were hospitalized, despite the fact that most of them did not need hospitalization. Thus, conditions were created for the nosocomial spread of the virus, which subsequently became the main cause of mass infection of people. As a result, the victims were not only hospital patients, but also medical staff." Like I said, nothing comforting. We have witnessed such a cunning course of the disease ourselves from the morning news.
Day nine.
Finally, having breakfast at home and drinking no longer sickly sweet 3 in 1 coffee, but freshly brewed green tea with herbs from a stall not far from the house, I decided to listen to the news. Not without a feeling of fear, I turned on the TV and began to search for the right channel. Unaccustomed shuddered. The dull "tick-tock" of the kitchen clock echoed throughout the apartment. The only sound sources in an empty, uninhabited apartment were a cuckoo, which insensitively and mechanically flew out of wooden shutters, and a news portal announcer. I unconsciously held my breath. Tears welled up in my eyes. "The deputy of the nth parliament of the party ... called on the whole world to help country M in the fight against infection," responding to our early requests for help.
There is an opportunity to save the situation. I believe that everything will be fine. It will all be over soon. It's time to get ready for work.
Day ten.
A ray of hope stole a wink at us. Today, the very next day after the appeal, a plane with foreign specialists and medical equipment was sent. There was a team of nine doctors on board: six men and three women, led by the Vice president and professor of Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We are looking forward to the arrival of new colleagues. Previously arrived professionals continue to actively participate in the antiviral activities of our doctors. I didn't remember their names, I can barely do that. In the course of working together, we will still have time to get acquainted. Perhaps things would have been worse without their help. The high rate of infected people is amazing. Meanwhile, an active service began to save lives in the walls of a scientific laboratory located next door. The support from outside was tangible, despite the small number of new employees. We continue to fight Death. Gradually, the fear for his own life recedes. There are few notes for today.
Day thirteen.
Today we have delivered a trial vaccine developed jointly with leading virologists in our laboratory. Positive dynamics is observed: the temperature of patients has normalized, the fever has receded, breathing has stabilized, wheezing in the lungs has become less frequent. All this is the result of many hours of research, relentless observation and numerous approbations.
Day fourteen.
It became known that a group of 52 doctors from the country next door arrived in the country. For my small homeland, this is a big figure. At the moment, the medical staff can afford a little rest in the form of a five-hour sleep. Yes, it seems small, if you do not recall the situation ten days ago: liters of coffee, loss of consciousness, living at work and further down the list. Let's get back to the good stuff. During the day, the number of dead and hospitalized patients decreased by one and a half times. At the moment, the number of recovered is 7932 people. Of course, we still have a lot to do, but we have already overcome much more. History will not forget the kindness and responsiveness of foreign assistants in such a difficult time. This is probably my last entry in my diary. There's no point in taking it any further. This Is A Victory!
A recording made a week after the announcement of Victory over the virus.

Hope did not leave us, and despite all the difficulties, we persevered. People will remember this pandemic for a long time, which made people slow down, reassess their values, turn to God, and eventually to themselves. The most precious thing that each of us has is our life, the health of our loved ones. How great it is when you have the opportunity to take a deep breath of fresh air and saturate your body with oxygen. We forget about such trifles in the hustle and bustle, do not attach value and do not notice the exorbitant work of other people. I thank everyone who has made efforts to bring this day closer – the day of victory over the difficulties that have befallen us. From now on, none of us will be able to live as before, and whether it's bad or good, the conclusion is only for each of us.