A medical system on life support
HEN DR. MARK LEWIS HAS TO GIVE A cancer patient bad news, he usually offers a hug or a hand to hold. The idea of doing so by phone felt heartbreakingly impersonal, he says. But in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Salt Lake City–based gastrointestinal oncologist has had to do many things that make his “conscience weigh heavy.” He’s delivered tough prognoses virtually, to limit the chance of spreading the virus. He’s delayed chemotherapy for patients who—he hopes—can wait, knowing the treatment would wipe out their immune system. He’s
