CARMEN GOH, 29, NATIONAL NETBALLER

Like any happy-go-lucky teenager, Carmen Goh was delighted when school classes were cancelled in 2003 owing to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars). But the deadly disease that infected 238 people and killed 33 here also left an impact on the 13-year-old.

"I was in Secondary 1 then and I remember vividly from watching a TV drama that there was a doctor who treated a Sars patient and didn't wear shoe covers and died," said the 29-year-old, a senior resident at the National University Hospital's (NUH) accident and emergency department.

Her memory of Sars and her grandfather, who suffered from lung disease and died when she was young, played a part in her decision to pursue medicine as a career.

The initial lack of information and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus - and its links with Sars - led to Goh feeling some trepidation and fear.

But assured by the medical protocols and protective gear in place, she has since eased into her role on the front line, spending her shifts supervising a team of medical officers, taking swabs for potential Covid-19 patients, treating those with symptoms such as fever, coughs or respiratory illness, and seeing non-virus patients.

Goh, who last year won a silver medal at the Philippines SEA Games and competed at the Nations Cup and Netball World Cup, also tries to join her team for Zoom training sessions in the evenings.

The days and nights may seem like a blur for busy healthcare workers like Goh as Singapore continues to see hundreds of virus infections a day, but occasionally a patient can help cut through the daily grind.

Goh told The Sunday Times: "An old lady I saw a few weeks ago came in with weakness in her arms and legs (stroke symptoms) and I asked her why she took so long to come in and her answer really struck me.

"She said 'I know you (the hospital) are very busy and I don't want to burden you further'. In fact, she started with 'sorry doctor for making you busier'. It's a reminder that sometimes we see it as a shift but what we do matters."

Trained in a sport where teamwork is key to success, Goh also noted the dedication and hard work of her colleagues and other healthcare workers on the front line.

She added: "I have colleagues who volunteer to work on their day off... people who volunteer to work in infectious zones so those with elderly parents or young kids don't have to, everyone is doing what they can to help.

"When you are faced with such an enemy that does not discriminate, so unseen yet so powerful, everyone who steps forward can play their part and show that there is extraordinary strength in numbers and teamwork."

ANG CHEN XIANG, 25, NATIONAL HURDLER

It is not easy to have a good bedside manner when one is wearing goggles, an N95 mask, a medical gown, and has "really small eyes", as is the case with Dr Ang Chen Xiang.

A medical officer at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital's emergency department, he often encounters worried and scared patients during this Covid-19 crisis, such as the father and son pair who had been in contact with a virus patient.

He treated the father, who was so anxious that his vital signs were elevated.

"It's difficult to convey emotion and empathy while wearing the full PPE (personal protective equipment) and I try to smile through my eyes, but they are really small, so they're closed when I'm smiling!" chuckled the 25-year-old.

Even reassuring words to patients can be muffled under the mask, as he added: "I give them a timeline and course of action to expect and assure them that as a team, we'll take care of them."

The national hurdler had requested to work in the emergency department as he "wanted to help in the fight against Covid-19", working shifts doing swab tests and caring for coronavirus and non-virus patients.

Wearing the PPE for up to 10 hours daily while treating patients can be draining and exhausting, but the humble young doctor said "whether they are Covid patients or not, our goal is to help them recover".

"We know that what we do is essential and important for the people we help, and for our country. When I see patients recover, see the vibrancy and colour return to their faces, it's very heartwarming and very satisfying."

Aside from work, Ang, who competed at the SEA Games from 2015 to 2019 and holds the national 110m hurdles record of 14.25sec, tries to squeeze in a daily training session with his younger brother and coach Ding Hui - safe distancing measures included.

He works out in his home gym or practises with plastic hurdles on the roads near his home, with the latter adjusting the training regimen if he is too tired.

He is grateful for the support from his family, who prepare healthy meals such as rolled oats and quinoa to ensure he is fed when he returns after a 10pm-8am overnight shift.

His colleagues also pitch in to keep morale up, buying him iced milo or teh peng during his shifts at the hospital. But his favourite big bao snack is not allowed, as Ang explains that the "no bao" rule is a superstition to ensure a smooth-sailing day at the office.

Ding Hui, who is also a national hurdler, said: "Given the severity of the virus, to watch him go to the front line every day, it's natural to be worried, at the same time I feel a sense of pride seeing him walk out of the door in his scrubs to know that he's going to help save lives."

The brothers are very close as they train, swim and play badminton together, and Ding Hui added: "Everything he does, he does to his best as a brother, doctor and athlete, and that's what I respect about him."

Just do not ask who the better badminton player is, as the younger sibling added: "It's hard to say as we both have different styles, but we'll have a competition in the next off season and update you!"

VANESSA TAN, 26, NATIONAL DRAGON BOATER

When the Covid-19 pandemic first hit Singapore months ago, Vanessa Tan's mother was so concerned that she told the 26-year-old, a medical laboratory technologist at Singapore General Hospital's (SGH) pathology division, that she would fully support her if she chose to leave her job.

But the national women's dragon boat captain did not flinch, as she wanted "to stay on to support the hospital's efforts in fighting the pandemic".

"The risk is always there, and so the worry will always be there," she said. "However, adequate protection such as donning the proper PPE (personal protective equipment) and strict infection control practices are in place to ensure the safety of lab staff.

"Beyond that, it is largely a personal responsibility to ensure that safety procedures are followed so we do not get ourselves infected and pass the virus on to our family."

Her work at SGH involves running tests on blood samples from patients suspected of viral infections such as dengue or hepatitis B. She now also analyses suspected or confirmed Covid-19 positive blood samples.

She said: "I had qualms about having to analyse those specimens at the beginning. But as the samples came in more frequently, we got used to the process along with a better understanding of the way the disease is transmitted."

The lab tech is required to wear a lab coat and gloves when handling specimens and they have to adhere strictly to safety guidelines.

Since the outbreak, the lab has seen an estimated 50 per cent increase in the number of specimens, which means that she often has to clock in overtime and work 10-to 11-hour days and weekends.

She said: "It is more stressful with the heavier workload but more help has come, with researchers and even our bosses coming down to help out with lab work. The opportunity for some team bonding is perhaps the inadvertent silver lining to the Covid-19 dark cloud."

That also leaves less time and energy for virtual training workouts with her teammates but Tan, who won a bronze at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Thailand last year, said she is "motivated to keep my sport going".

Of her 22-member team, three others work in healthcare as a physiotherapist, cardiac technologist and a nurse, and their captain Tan said she is "very proud of them for the work that they do".

She added: "I admire fellow athletes for their courage to take on the battle in the front lines which shows the true embodiment of an athlete - a fighter till the end."

Tan may seem like an unlikely combatant in her white lab coat, but she believes in the "great significance" of her job and others who are working behind the scenes.

"Those that run the routine lab tests and essential services workers who are not directly involved in Covid-19 management are equally as important as those in the front line," she said.

"The satisfaction comes from seeing patients benefit from the work that we do. The laboratory is a busy environment and while we are mostly used to it, there is still the constant pressure to do our work well because making any mistake could cost lives."

ATIQ SYAZWANI ROSLAN, 26, NATIONAL SILAT ATHLETE

On her first day at the Woodlands Lodge 1 workers' dormitory, healthcare assistant Atiq Syazwani Roslan found herself breathless and drenched in sweat as her full protective gear left her feeling like she had "run a marathon".

Her discomfort worsened during the fasting month of Ramadan (April 24 to May 23), as she could not drink or eat during her shift.

"I knew it was going to be tough and I tried to plan my food intake better, eat more in the morning and try to pace my work... if I was not well, my colleagues were understanding," said the national silat exponent, who won a silver and bronze respectively at the 2017 and 2019 SEA Games.

The 26-year-old had signed up for the front line of the Covid-19 battle when the call for volunteers came, despite the role being outside her field as a physiotherapist at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

"When my head of department asked whether I wanted to volunteer, my first question was, 'why not'?" said Atiq, who had already been considering how to contribute to the fight. "I can't save the whole world and help everyone, but if I can make a difference to someone, I'm happy."

After spending a month at Woodlands Lodge 1, she was redeployed to two other foreign worker dorms, Westlite Juniper and Westlite Mandai. All three were identified as Covid-19 clusters.

Her role as a healthcare assistant involves conducting mass screenings, assisting doctors, registering and monitoring patients, and performing swab tests.

Aside from the challenge of trying to communicate with patients while decked in full medical gear, Atiq had to overcome an initial fear of contracting the virus which saw her cleaning her hands excessively and showering a few times a day.

While her parents are supportive of her work, she has had to distance herself from them as a precautionary measure, refraining initially from hugging or kissing her mother, whom she is very close to. Atiq added: "She understands and is supportive, and that's one thing I appreciate."

Such is her dedication to her job that she tries not to drink too much water to avoid having to visit the toilet so often. She said: "There is sufficient PPE (personal protective equipment) but I don't want to cause unnecessary waste."

Her sacrifices were rewarded by the happy faces and the thumbs-up signs she got when over 60 workers were declared healthy after serving their quarantine orders, adding: "I see how joyful they are and I'm happy for them."

While Atiq, who tries to work out for 30 minutes daily to maintain her fitness, says she cannot wait to get back to the physiotherapy job she loves, she is well aware that there is a long battle ahead.

Urging on the other Singapore athletes working on the front line, she added: "They are all like me, fighting something we cannot see and we don't know when it'll end, but I hope they know that they are making a difference in this pandemic."