When Covid-19 began tearing across the U.S. in March 2020, Alex Goldstein started posting on Twitter the pictures and stories of people who had died from the disease. He was worried the spreading virus might mean months of trouble, sickness, and sadness, and wanted to stay connected to the humanity of the loss.
More than two years later, as the U.S. marks the grim milestone of 1 million people dead from Covid-19, Goldstein is still at it. The account, @FacesOfCovid, has now memorialized more than 7,000 people — parents and grandparents, children and siblings, Special Olympians, health care workers, barbers, teachers, bus drivers, Holocaust survivors, security guards, and more.
“If we can see ourselves in some of these stories, that experience of empathy can actually help be the solution,” Goldstein said.
This conversation was an extension of his First Opinion essay, “The faces of Covid.” In addition to single-handedly running @FacesOfCovid, Goldstein is the founder and CEO of 90 West, a Boston-area strategic communications company.
To have a loved one, friend, neighbor, or co-worker added to FacesOfCovid, go to the Twitter feed and send a direct message to Goldstein.
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