Israeli hospital enlists recovered coronavirus patients as volunteers for COVID-19 ward

Hospital.
(Image credit: iStock.)

Hadassah University hospital in Jerusalem is running a pilot program in which recovered coronavirus patients volunteer to help those currently hospitalized with COVID-19, BBC reports.

The hospital's 30 or so recovered volunteers — who have all been tested to confirm they have antibodies for the virus and wear full protective gear (since it's still unclear how long immunity lasts) — aren't performing any medical tasks. Rather, they're there to lend an ear or sit and talk with patients who would otherwise be in isolation. Dr. Rely Alon, the director of nursing at Hadassah, told BBC that the volunteers are a "great help" for both patients and staff, even if their tasks sound simple.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.