When a Jewish doctor in California and his team changed a suspected Covid-19 patient into a hospital gown, the swastika on his chest was unmistakable. 

Emergency physician Dr Taylor Nichols' account of the moment went viral on Twitter earlier this week.

Dr Nichols, who works at Mercy San Juan Hospital near Sacramento, shared the story in a thread on the social media site, recounting how for the first time in his career, he initially “hesitated” when confronted with a patient. 

The man, whose chest was covered in SS tattoos, looked older and appeared to have lost most of his teeth to methamphetamine use, he wrote, adding that he struggled to breathe and seemed sick and scared.

“I pause. I see the SS tattoo and think about what he might think about having Jewish physician taking care of him now, or how much he would have cared about my life if the roles were reversed.

“For the first time, I recognise that I hesitated, ambivalent. The pandemic has worn on me, and my mantra isn’t having the same impact in the moment. All this time soldiering on against the headwinds, gladiators in the pit,” he said. 

In response to the patient’s breathless plea, “don’t let me die, doc”, Dr Nichols said he sought to reassure him.

Later, seeing him continue to struggle to breathe, Dr Nichols said he asked the patient if he wished to be intubated if necessary to survive and the man offered his consent.

The medical team comprised a black nurse and Asian respiratory therapist, Dr Nichols wrote. 

“Yet here we were, working seamlessly as a team to make sure we gave him the best chance to survive that we could. All while wearing masks, gowns, face shields, gloves. 

“The moment perfectly captured what we are going through as healthcare workers as this pandemic accelerates.”