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Joshua Irwandi

The seemingly mummified body of a COVID-19 victim lies on the patient’s deathbed awaiting a bodybag in Jakarta, Indonesia. It took two nurses about an hour to wrap the patient in plastic—a measure intended to keep the coronavirus from spreading. Indonesians were shocked when they saw this image, which humanises the losses of COVID-19 and horror of death from the disease. “It’s clear that the power of this image has galvanised discussion about coronavirus,” photographer Joshua Irwandi told National Geographic in July 2020. “We have to recognise the sacrifice, and the risk, that the doctors and nurses are making.”

The body of a suspected COVID-19 victim lies in an Indonesian hospital. After the patient died, nurses wrapped the body in layers of plastic and applied disinfectant to prevent the spread of the virus. Joshua Irwandi said he took this photograph “to raise awareness of the danger of coronavirus, to appreciate the work of the medical staff in Indonesia and around the world who risk their lives to save ours, and to remember that we must remain steadfast and united in the face of this pandemic of our lifetime.”

Hugo Gan, 15, a cousin of photographer Joshua Irwandi, plays with his four-year-old German shepherd mix, Zeus, in Tangerang, Indonesia, on February 7. Hugo rescued Zeus from the streets as a puppy, and the two are now inseparable. Since the pandemic, Gan has taken his classes online. “Since my parents are always away at work, he’s the only company I have,” he told Irwandi.

Suharmin tries to lure a few of his cats to come down from their perch. The family’s seven cats have become so attached that they suffer from separation anxiety; one cat, KitKat, lost weight when the family left for a short trip. Preliminary research suggests that such behavioural changes will be temporary, however. “One of our favourite moments is during nighttime when we relax, watch the TV, and all of them gather around us,” Lukito says.

A COVID-19 VICTIM BECOMES A MODERN MUMMY 04.18, Indonesia The body of a suspected coronavirus victim, wrapped in plastic, awaits a body bag in an Indonesian hospital. The multiple layers were part of a hospital protocol to help suppress the spread of the virus. As is the case with most victims, family members were not allowed to say goodbye. The uproar over this photo, first published in July by National Geographic, thrust photographer Joshua Irwandi into the spotlight. Celebrities and government officials in Indonesia had denied that COVID-19 was an issue in the country, which had lifted many social restrictions. This picture said otherwise. “It has galvanized and renewed discussions of COVID-19 in Indonesia just as the country was then preparing for a ‘new normal,’ ” said Irwandi.

The body of a suspected COVID-19 victim lies in an Indonesian hospital. After the patient died, nurses wrapped the body in layers of plastic and applied disinfectant to prevent the spread of the virus.

The body of a suspected covid-19 victim lies in an Indonesian hospital. After the patient died, nurses wrapped the body in layers of plastic and applied disinfectant to prevent the spread of the virus.

The body of a suspected covid-19 victim lies in an indonesian hospital. After the patient died, nurses wrapped the body in layers of plastic and applied disinfectant to prevent the spread of the virus.

Asmat teacher Maria Fransiska (Chika) Danuk, 23, gets ready for her wedding. Researchers hope to learn more about the genetic traces that Denisovans left in the DNA of modern Papuans to help them live healthier lives.