PATIENT

Rao, a Covid-19 survivor, recounts his harrowing and humorous interactions with the United States healthcare system.

For two years, the author, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, took all of the prescribed measures to avoid contracting Covid-19. He “snagged N95 masks early,” got vaccinated and boosted at his first chance, avoided travel, “and pretty much lived life as a hermit.” Yet in May of 2022, he made the critical blunder of leaving his mask in the car (which was taken off-site by a valet) while attending a gala supporting the local orchestra—a super-spreader event. A week later, after seven positive tests, he accepted the reality that he had contracted the virus. At first, his case seemed mild; he was buoyed by his confidence in the effectiveness of the Paxlovid drug treatment, but after a panicked call from his doctor reporting that his blood test results indicated he was experiencing acute renal failure, he found himself in the midst of a life-threatening health crisis. While his condition was critical, Rao describes his hospitalization with ample humor. The title of the book, in fact, is a play on words, denoting his status as a patient as well as serving as a reminder of the frequent refrain he heard from doctors to “be patient.” The author likes wordplay; he recalls waking up with “a sense of impending ‘Zoom’” and asserts that he “pfelt pfine” after his Pfizer vaccinations. Dedicated to “all the unsung health care workers,” this book is also a celebration of those who saved his life. While poking fun at some of the inefficiencies of the health system, Rao is careful to never target its workers. The book’s optimistic prose includes nostalgic stories from Rao’s Indian grandparents and reminders to readers about choosing kindness in their daily lives. As a professor, Rao relishes in the opportunity to reject the “deadly dull” writing style of his academic work, accurately describing this book as “creative nonfiction.”

A humorous pandemic memoir that doesn’t minimize the Covid-19 virus’ deadliness or the efforts of health care workers.