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They\u2019re the intensive care staff we see on the TV news. In their protective equipment, we can\u2019t see their expressions \u2013 even their own colleagues find it hard to recognise them behind their masks. We can\u2019t read their faces, but we can hear their thoughts - as they record a series of diaries as the weeks in the grip of the virus go by. \nIn these recordings for File on 4, doctors and nurses take off their masks and reveal their private emotions and professional fears. They talk from the heart, sharing how they feel about their patients and the emotional toll on them and their families. For the diarists, it\u2019s a rare moment to stop and reflect, to mourn the losses and hold on to the glimmers of hope.

Reporter: Jane Deith\nProducer: Paul Grant\nEditor: Carl Johnston