Wife of Doctor Who Is Treating Coronavirus Patients Speaks Out About Husband's Self-Isolation

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The wife of an emergency department physician is opening up about “the sacrifice that healthcare workers are making” amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic after her husband isolated himself from their family to avoid spreading the disease.

Dr. Rachel Patzer, a medical professor who is currently on maternity leave, went viral on Twitter after sharing the “difficult decision” their family had to make as the novel respiratory virus continues to spread across the United States.

“My spouse is a physician in the emergency dept, and is actively treating #coronavirus patients. We just made the difficult decision for him to isolate & move into our garage apartment for the foreseeable future as he continues to treat patients,” she tweeted on Monday.

“We have a 3 wk old newborn and 2 young kids and just can’t risk it. It pains me to wonder how many weeks will go by that he won’t get to hold our new baby or see our older kids. This is one example of the sacrifice that healthcare workers are making for our communities.”

My spouse is a physician in the emergency dept, and is actively treating #coronavirus patients. We just made the difficult decision for him to isolate & move into our garage apartment for the foreseeable future as he continues to treat patients. (1/5)

— Rachel Patzer, PhD (@RachelPatzerPhD) March 17, 2020

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As I attempt to home school my kids (alone) with a new baby who screams if she isn’t held, I am worried about the health of my spouse and my family. This was not how I envisioned my maternity leave, but I know things could be worse. (3/5)

— Rachel Patzer, PhD (@RachelPatzerPhD) March 17, 2020

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Please, take this #pandemic seriously. I hope the projections of infections and serious cases are incorrect. If not, our healthcare system will be overloaded. And already we are seeing the strain. Please thank a healthcare worker for what they are doing and sacrificing. (5/5)

— Rachel Patzer, PhD (@RachelPatzerPhD) March 17, 2020

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“As I attempt to home school my kids (alone) with a new baby who screams if she isn’t held, I am worried about the health of my spouse and my family. This was not how I envisioned my maternity leave, but I know things could be worse,” she wrote.

Patzer went on to express her frustrations in seeing people not following protocol from health officials to practice social distancing, which helps avoid further spread of the disease during the health crisis.

We owe a profound debt of gratitude to all our health professionals and everybody who’ll be on the front lines of this pandemic for a long while. They’re giving everything. May we all model our own behavior on their selflessness and sacrifice as we help each other through this. https://t.co/F3tsJTqd4c

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 17, 2020

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“It is difficult to see pictures of all the people at bars and restaurants, socializing, making play dates, and ignoring social distancing recommendations when I know my husband and many other healthcare workers are risking their lives to treat more sick patients,” she tweeted. “Please, take this seriously.”

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The mom continued, “I hope the projections of infections and serious cases are incorrect. If not, our healthcare system will be overloaded. And already we are seeing the strain. Please thank a healthcare worker for what they are doing and sacrificing.”

Patzer’s tweets struck a chord with social media users, with many sharing their stories about healthcare professionals working around the clock in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Former President Barack Obama referenced Patzer’s heart-wrenching story on Tuesday, writing on his Twitter, “We owe a profound debt of gratitude to all our health professionals and everybody who’ll be on the front lines of this pandemic for a long while. They’re giving everything.”

He added, “May we all model our own behavior on their selflessness and sacrifice as we help each other through this.”

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Patzer later told CNN that it’s “tough” for her to see that some people aren’t taking the pandemic seriously despite all the sacrifices healthcare workers are making.

“We’re all in this together,” she said. “We really need to do our part to decrease the impact, flatten the curve and support our healthcare workers. The best way to support our healthcare workers — people like my husband who are making these sacrifices — is to really listen to public help guidance and to stay home.”

As of Wednesday morning, there are at least 5,881 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. and 107 deaths from coronavirus-related illness.