I’ve been a big Uber user for the last 5 years, and recently found out about the terrible plight of taxi drivers since last March. Stories of depression and even suicide, in an industry that was already struggling. I have therefore been putting more effort into taking standard city taxis whenever possible. One I took the other day, the elderly driver virtually broke down telling me that there was no business whatsoever nowadays.

I saw an excellent online meme. While there have been few absolutes since the beginning of the pandemic, this one is difficult to argue with:

“No doctor, scientist, or leader, would be advocating for lockdowns, if they knew their paycheck was going to be adversely affected”

The disproportionate effect of lockdowns on society’s poorest is a tragedy; not everyone works in healthcare or has a Zoom-friendly job.

If there was one thing I’d change among many doctors and scientists who appear on the news and are gung-ho about lockdowns, is understanding the enormous economic consequences in the real world. Ours is supposed to be a profession of compassion, and as well as applying to patients, it should also apply to economic and life hardships—and showing empathy to people who are suffering in this respect because of COVID.

In this particular case, I encourage city folk to safely take taxis whenever needed, and be extra generous with tips!

Suneel Dhand is a physician, writer, and YouTuber. He is Founder at MedStoic Lifestyle Medicine and DocsDox . Follow him on YouTube and Instagram