For twin brothers Michael and Dennis D’Urso, working 1,300 miles apart in New York and Miami respectively as ER doctors, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought them closer than ever before
NEW YORK - Emergency room doctor Michael D’Urso has had some bleak days on the front lines of New York City’s battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
The tough days make D’Urso appreciate a unique comfort amid the relentless trauma - a sympathetic ear from his brother, an identical twin, who does the identical job in a Miami emergency room. The twins were nearly inseparable for 30 of their 31 years - together for college and even medical school. Pursuing separate residencies was a chance to form separate identities.
With hospitals and intensive care units overrun, his patients can live in the ER for days. Families aren’t allowed to visit. Doctors are often too busy to keep them informed. Sometimes, he says, relatives call seeking updates on patients who have already died.“It can be so demoralizing, working with patients and not knowing how to help them,” Michael says.
Walking home after a recent late shift, at about 2 a.m., two men jumped Michael in his normally sleepy Brooklyn neighborhood, pushing him to the ground and rifling through his pockets.He laughs about it now. It was a lie, but it worked. The men sprinted off; Michael escaped unharmed. Anxiety is surging. A few medical workers - including one fellow resident - have tested positive for the virus, Dennis says. Doctors wear protective gear at all times.Some colleagues, he says, are considering covering patients with garbage bags during intubations, cutting holes for their mouths, in hopes it might help stop the spread of infections.The twins’ mother, Linda D’Urso, shares that fear. She tears up in a phone interview as she says, “I think they need a big hug right about now.
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