We Haven’t Properly Mourned the 100,000 Lives Taken by Covid-19

Americans would take the Coronavirus more seriously if they saw the true impact of the disease on those who suffer most

Lily Sage Weinrieb photographs the remains of a Covid-19 victim for a virtual viewing before cremation on May 22, 2020 in New York City. Lily is in residency as a funeral director at International Hamilton Heights Funeral Home in Harlem. Before the pandemic, the home averaged 30–40 clients per month. Now, that number has quadrupled. Between transferring remains from hospitals, viewings, paperwork, embalmments, crematorium and cemetery runs, Lily works from 8am to midnight. She often sleeps on a couch in the funeral chapel. She is completely overwhelmed scheduling funerals for a month in advance and not able to do many aspects of her job like being able to console grieving relatives with a hug nor a touch and limiting numbers at viewing and burials. Despite these impediments, Lily attempts to find solutions such as video viewings and other ceremonies. Photo by Misha Friedman/Getty Images.

100,000 people have died from Covid-related causes. These deaths have occurred largely alone. They have been without notice, discounted, under-counted…