Top NYC coronavirus doctor takes her own life

A true loss to the medical community in this horrible time.

Dr. Lorna Breen was a real Hero. RIP.

So tragic and disturbing. Throughout this entire crisis, I've tried very, very hard to be "smart". There's an old adage about frogs and boiling water... I'm sure everyone will understand. Some people are quick to make rash judgements concerning the epidemic of suicide; I'm not among them. There are forms of suffering so deep, so attached to someone's inner-psyche; it's impossible to fully comprehend their reasons, or try to mitigate them with quickly assembled analysis. If everything we're hearing about this person is accurate... then the only proper response is sorrow for her loss, sympathy for her family, and compassion for the strain she must have borne to come to such a point in her life.

Now... about remaining "smart";

This isn't the first such highly-publicized incident. We've also seen a number of otherwise unexplained suicides, to include two seniors at the USAF Academy, and medical professionals connected to COVID-19 in Europe. Search me, but while I am not a medical professional, and it's been some time since I was a Midshipman... I dare to presume I have some limited knowledge of relatable professional and personal stressors. I can perhaps viably "put myself in the shoes" of someone finishing out their final year before commissioning, or dealing professionally with life and death emergencies. Something troubling keeps roiling in my gut about all of this... and I can't quite dismiss it as merely a case of severe duress brought on by unprecedented fear, uncertainty, and first-hand experience of the associated losses.

It's easy to denigrate the "extreme" points of view on any side. People picketing for their "right" to a senior prom, or those wandering the aisles of stores wearing underwear on their head are easy targets for insult. Get beyond that however; to the individual conversations I have on a daily basis with associates, friends, and family... and it's very clear that nothing is very clear at this stage. As I see it, it would be as impractical to have no doubts... as it is to refuse to accept facts beyond any shadow of doubt.

For my own part, whether this is (as some suggest) a crisis that will almost certainly decimate our population... a case of "mass hysteria" fueled by mass communication... or as is more likely; a serious threat that can and will be overcome in time- I think the important thing to remember is that perspective is important to understanding.