The Wider Image: In Brazil, vaccine trial volunteers hope to save lives
Morgana de Menezes Maia, 24, a dental surgeon, a volunteer in COVID-19 vaccine trial for AstraZeneca, poses for a photograph in Sao Paulo, Brazil, December 09, 2020. "I have been working with COVID-19 patients since the beginning of the year … I've learned how important it is to stay close to our family and people we love – what a difference that makes, both in your personal and professional life. I think I matured during this year. Facing all this has made me more independent. I've always had (my parents) by my side, but I had to face this all alone, at work and everywhere else. I think it was a year that matured a lot," Menezes Maia said. "The hardest part was to face this period without knowing when it is going to be over, without knowing if the vaccine will really be here next year … The pandemic affected the whole world. Everyone felt the effects of quarantine, isolation, the disease. Many people lost their loved ones, friends. Being able to volunteer is unique. There aren't a lot of us who are part of this moment that will be remembered. Picture taken with a slow shutter speed. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli SEARCH "PEROBELLI VACCINE" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES