A Glasgow doctor has opened up about watching coronavirus patients "struggling for breath" and saying their final goodbyes via Skype.
Dr Allan Cameron has warned the public that "it's happening again" as the number of hospital admissions from coronavirus continue to rise.
The consultant physician at Glasgow Royal Infirmary has spoken out about the tragedies unfolding behind the statistics and has warned that hospitals will become dangerously full if the public don't do their bit to keep the virus in check.
He explains: "I guess I was wrong about Covid. I thought we had the collective ingenuity and resolve to prevent it from filling our hospitals, our ICUs and our mortuaries like it did in April. But it’s happening again.
"Who’s to blame? I don’t think anyone is really; people are just people. In a country of 5 million folks you’ll get the whole spectrum of behaviours and beliefs. I trust that most people try to do what’s best for themselves, their families and friends, and when they can, their fellow citizens."
The doctor has addressed concerns from the public that we should 'get on with it now' and that 'deaths are inevitable whether we lockdown or not'.
However, it's his belief that inaction now will lead to more preventable deaths and stricter restrictions further down the line.
He adds: "Where I differ is that I look at the numbers and see the exponential growth of cases with the measures we have in place now. That means if nothing else changes, cases will rise inexorably.
"And throughout all this, the hospitals will become dangerously full. Guys like me may have to make decisions based on available resources rather than clinical need. We will have no option other than to cancel elective work because there will literally be no room to house elective cases. Who will we blame then?
"This is not scaremongering. It is a mathematical certainty if something doesn't change.
"My belief, for what it's worth, is that some of the choices we make now may rob us, and our Government, of the ability to make real choices later."
Dr Cameron's post has been shared more than 1,000 times on social media with hundreds responding to the heartfelt post.
There are currently 601 people in hospitals throughout Scotland with recently confirmed Covid-19 and a further 51 patients in ICU.
13 more deaths were reported on Thursday, with another 15 on Wednesday.
Nicola Sturgeon has warned that the country is at a "critical moment" in the battle against the virus and our position remains "precarious".
The First Minister will be outlining plans for a 'tiered approach to intervention' when the latest restrictions come to an end on October 26.
