Op-Ed: My patients are in the hospital, yet so alone. How isolation is complicating care during the pandemic
![In a panel from the graphic op-ed, a patient says he wants to go home if it means he's stuck in the hospital without family.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f2e3779/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1200+0+0/resize/1200x720!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F73%2F19%2F5ef33b6e453e90150e767600405d%2Foe-gray-isolation-lead.jpg)
(Nathan Gray / For The Times)
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Gray is an assistant professor of medicine and palliative care at Duke University School of Medicine and an artist who draws comics on medical topics.
![Gray is an assistant professor of medicine and palliative care at Duke University Center.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2bdfe6b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1159x1500+0+0/resize/1200x1553!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5d%2Fc0%2F03bb6fdc4d72983932f325f8e837%2Foe-gray-isolation-01.jpg)
![Gray is an assistant professor of medicine and palliative care at Duke University Center.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/69d7d0a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1159x1500+0+0/resize/1200x1553!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F95%2F96%2F57fc4164487397549964aa095595%2Foe-gray-isolation-02.jpg)
![Gray is an assistant professor of medicine and palliative care at Duke University Center.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8103146/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1159x1500+0+0/resize/1200x1553!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F61%2F47%2Fcbb9f4d94e93bdce7341583eaba8%2Foe-gray-isolation-03.jpg)
![Gray is an assistant professor of medicine and palliative care at Duke University Center.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b6ea2bf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1159x1500+0+0/resize/1200x1553!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe0%2F09%2F25cb9fa14548b9cbd23593e9f289%2Foe-gray-isolation-04.jpg)
![Gray is an assistant professor of medicine and palliative care at Duke University Center.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c0e5e6f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1159x1500+0+0/resize/1200x1553!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa4%2Fd9%2F8f0bed3246f6a9175521f92a80f8%2Foe-gray-isolation-05.jpg)
![Gray is an assistant professor of medicine and palliative care at Duke University Center.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cbb89e3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1159x1500+0+0/resize/1200x1553!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F65%2F49%2F7d65527244ce92ea8734282aa2be%2Foe-gray-isolation-06.jpg)
![Gray is an assistant professor of medicine and palliative care at Duke University Center.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0459bb3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1159x1500+0+0/resize/1200x1553!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2f%2F12%2F7c9099a94349a1718ab32e1da2b0%2Foe-gray-isolation-07.jpg)
![Gray is an assistant professor of medicine and palliative care at Duke University Center.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7fa56d8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1159x1500+0+0/resize/1200x1553!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb4%2F4a%2F591184e3445f9ef5508fa8bb9e1e%2Foe-gray-isolation-08.jpg)
![Gray is an assistant professor of medicine and palliative care at Duke University Center.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1bd9688/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1159x1500+0+0/resize/1200x1553!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff6%2Fa9%2F4087e38746cc9a132dfb254f9310%2Foe-gray-isolation-09.jpg)
(Nathan Gray / For The Times)
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