Isolating in Antarctica with Bryony Pointon

In this episode, World Extreme Medicine Faculty Member and BASMU medic Bryony Pointon joins us from aboard the James Clark Ross.  Alongside WEM Education Lead Will Duffin, Bryony explores the challenge of keeping COVID off the ship as they head to Antarctica. They discuss the preventative steps taken, turning away crew and avoiding fully docking on their journey and the complexities faced if the pandemic did hit. Aside from coronavirus, Bryony and Will explore the nuances of providing medical care while onboard, from using the ship as the evacuation vehicle, the possibility of extended field care and the difficulty of coordinating logistics. Bryony recounts her experience of assisting a medevac - flying to Rothera to Punta Arenas before returning to the UK.  Bryony also details a close call - onboard HMS Endurance, where the crew were faced with a difficult decision of whether or not to abandon ship. Bryony explores how her training prepared her for her response.