In reading some articles written by Dr. Sharkawy, I came across one in which he described his experience climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania at age 32.  Despite almost dying from septic shock on his dissent, he persevered and survived against all odds.  Like Kilimanjaro, the fight against COVID-19 has been gruelling, unrelenting, exhausting and unpredictable at times.  While many of us have taken the necessary precautions and preparatory steps for this climb, there are still elements that surprise and threaten the most skilled climbers.  Like climbing a mountain, you don’t know if your experience with the coronavirus will be painless, manageable or life-threatening.

The hands at the top of the painting represent the importance of good hygiene and hand-washing in combating the virus.  Even though in reality, we can’t see the microscopic coronavirus particles, I painted them being washed down the side of Mount Kilimanjaro.  The larger exploding COVID-19 ball at the top is being obliterated by the diligence of the handwasher.  While the particles start off as a monochromatic blue, they start to lose their vibrancy and power as they near the bottom of the mountain and foreground.  Their spikes become less inflated and deadly and eventually they turn to stone.  The particles in the foreground have died and a few sprout yellow flowers indigenous to Tanzania.  While it may seem absurd to see flowers growing from a rock, it symbolizes that even in the most dire conditions, hope and resilience have a way of breaking through.  Like the exploding coronavirus particle at the top of the painting, humanity’s commitment to flattening the curve, heeding the warnings of healthcare professionals, and finding a cure for this virus will lead to its destruction.  

Dr. Sharkawy is one of many doctors amidst an array of others, committed to caring for COVID-19 patients, teaching medical students, and disseminating vital information about the virus to the public in a time of confusion and conflicting views.

His presence in the foreground, clad in his protective equipment, is a reminder that while most of us can turn a blind eye to the horrendousness of the disease, he must face it head on alongside his patients.  So when people act in callous disregard to social distancing rules as they did when they gathered at Toronto’s Trinity Bellwood Park, it undermines the sacrifices that Dr. Sharkawy and other frontline workers have made in the fight against COVID-19.  Most people would agree that conducting day-to-day activities having to wear a mask and gloves is not ideal.  But given the alternative, it is a small price to pay.  It can be the difference between life and death for someone else.  This is what makes the pandemic so challenging:  it requires selflessness and placing the importance of the collective over the individual.

Like a trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, if we remain cautious, vigilant, consistent, patient and hopeful in the war against the coronavirus, we can reach the summit of this mountain together.