Objective: To describe and analyze, at various levels, the communication exchanges that took place in a group chat of intensivists using the instant messaging application WhatsApp during the first stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically on the day the first case was confirmed in Mexico. An intense situation showing the three dimensions of the theoretical framework is stood out. Materials and methods: A qualitative research of WhatsApp messages shared between 239 intensivists at the beginning of the pandemic, specifically throughout February 27, 2020. A narrative analysis was used to interpret a fragment of a chat. A schema with three dimensions (analysis of shared information, standards of social action in COVID-19 patient care and emotional expressions) was developed to code and classify the messages. Results: The communication exchanges via WhatsApp made it possible to give meanin...