As the number of people testing positive for coronavirus is skyrocketing around the globe, with more than 35K confirmed in the US alone, tragic milestones are hit daily. Death tolls in Italy have reached 5,476, while Spain has been hit with 1,813 losses. It’s now clear that curbing the pandemic will take a full-blown battle.

And medical workers are now fighting on the front line. The heartbreaking pictures below serve as living proof of what’s happening behind the emergency doors. From eternal shifts that leave their faces severely bruised to working without proper equipment and risking lives—the sacrifice is overwhelming. While you scroll through the pictures, take a moment to think about these heroes and thank them.

#1 Faces Of Medical Workers After A Long Shift Of Treating Coronavirus Patients – A Czech Doctor

“We can’t anymore. We don’t sleep, we don’t eat”

Image credits: Pavla Kovaříková

#2 Face After 13 Hours ICU Work

“I don’t love selfies.
Yesterday, though, I took this photo. After 13 hours in ICU.
I am not a hero. I am a normal person”

Image credits: Nicola Sgarbi

#3 Nurse After Hours Of Work In Intensive Care

Image credits: qaisernawab098

These images stand as powerful reminders of the health crisis we are in right now. Dr. Anna Yaffee, a director of Global Health at Emory University, believes that sharing them is particularly important. “Sharing the images reinforces the point that there are people out there who are working tirelessly around the clock to provide lifesaving supportive care to those who are sick,” she commented.

But what makes frontline workers’ job particularly difficult is the shortage of protective supplies and hospital equipment. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio stated on Sunday that the city is “about 10 days away from seeing widespread shortages. If we don’t get more ventilators, people will die.”

#4 I’ve Been A Critical Care Nurse For 13 Years, And I’ve Never Seen Anything Like What Is Happening Now In Our Healthcare System. It Is Beyond Overwhelming

“Not only are all of us fighting to survive the contagion itself, we are fighting for protection from an industry that failed to adequately prepare us for this pandemic. Everyone is scrambling. Our skills and expertise are being put to the test in every way imaginable right now. And it’s only just getting started.”

Image credits: katievigos

#5 This Is What You Look Like After Wearing An N95 Mask All Day. We Don’t Have Enough Of Anything. Help Us Help You

Image credits: genithecrankyn1

#6 I Am Nurse And I Am Facing This Health Emergency Right Now

Image credits: alessiabonari_

#7 My Battle Scars

“Life as a front line during this period ain’t easy, to be honest it sucks. You kiss your love ones good bye before heading to “war zone”. U wear every level of protection needed to ensure u do not be contacted with any of this virus and to not bring the virus back to the loved ones at home. You wear face shield/ goggles / N95 some even wear PAPR at work, trust me it ain’t easy to breath wearing any of those (N95 & PAPR) and with all that protection on, u work quick and fast, catching your breath with every step u make because LIVE MATTERS.

After finishing your shift sweaty with tiredness, aching back, sore calf, painful ankles. you found out that not only your Annual Leaves are frozen, you are not even allowed to leave the country as a front line staff and worst of all is when you have to cancel your wedding reception because both you and your significant other are front liners and you both are needed to fight the “war” because LIVE MATTERS.

Now after work I shower and wear back your uniform with pride, u take public transportation just to go home and rest because tomorrow is another for “war” but when u board the train or bus. People say u bring germs/ virus with u, that u are infecting other people and that u are INCONSIDERATE but u just be quite and leave the train or bus because u are tired after work to explain ur situation.

Now u tell us how are we suppose to feel or react?
Are we not human like everyone else?
Don’t we have love ones too?
Don’t we wish to go on a holiday too?

All got to say is,
I am a front line staff and this is my story.”

Image credits: Benjamin Ong

#8 Nurses Take Off Their Face Masks After A Grueling Shift In Fight With Novel Coronavirus

Image credits: PDChina

#9 Just Finished A 12 Hour Shift Swabbing Symptomatic Covid19 Patients At Our Drive Thru Testing Site In Cleveland. We Collectively Swabbed 629

Image credits: reddit.com

#10 This Is An Anesthesiologist, Dr. John Henao, Who Is Running Out Of Ppe (Personal Protective Equipment) At His Hospital

“He, like most of us, are currently working under the assumption that most people are Covid19 positive and asymptomatic, but in order to save our dwindling supplies of PPE, are only using them for known cases of Covid19. In order to safely intubate all patients he had to jerry rig his own gear. He put on a CO2 sampling nasal cannula. He then put on a regular old plastic bag on over his head with a seal (you can see he taped it tightly around his neck). He ran the oxygen at 10 L/min. He sampled his CO2 to monitor. He did this for 10 min (long enough to intubate a patient). THIS is what we have to do because we have no PPE. I am horrified. I cannot even begin to know if this is safe and cannot recommend it. But, sure, we’ll be safe with bandanas, scarves, and homemade cloth masks. (That, folks, is sarcasm). For my friends who are fellow physicians, please be safe, and for those of you who are not, please call or tweet or write your elected officials to demand that we are given adequate equipment in order to treat you safely”

Image credits: Lisa Miller Delport

#11 Dr. Joy Vink Is On The Frontline Of NYC’s Battle With Covid-19, But Without Access To Proper Personal Protective Gear

“She’s has no choice but to “get creative.” Forget face shields – she is working in SWIM GOGGLES…our Health Care Heroes deserve better”

Image credits: AmplifyHerNYC

#12 Nurse’s Face After Taking Protective Gear Off

Image credits: PDChina

#13 Emergency Nurse

Image credits: alessandrafibbi

#14 Gear Marks On Nurse’s Face

Image credits: PDChina

#15 This Is My Mom. She’s My Hero. She’s A 60 Year Old Primary Care Physician Testing Patients For Covid-19

“She is putting her health on the line to test patients, get them the care they need, and do what she can to prevent community spread and the overburdening of our hospitals.”

Image credits: JMSilverbrook

#16 This Is Reality

Image credits: Martina Benedetti

#17 This Is My Mom. She’s 71 Years Old And Screening People From The Afternoon To Midnight. Thank The People That Expose Themselves And Go Through Hell Just To Make Sure People Are Safe

Image credits: TakinPichas

#18 Much Tiredness, Fear And Concern In Addition To The Brands, Injuries And Heat Caused By Protective Equipment

Image credits: qaisernawab098

#19 This Is My New Reality. Our Unit Has Turned Into An Itu And I Spent 10.5hrs With 1hr Off In Full Ppe With Covid Patients

“You develop headaches from the straps, pain all over your face, all of which you can’t touch till you de-robe. I still have marks and pain this morning.

Please all stay at home and do what is required. Chances are you will be ok but you might pass it onto someone else. We don’t need more patients!!!”

Image credits: rowing.nurse

#20 Nurse’s Face After A Long Shift

Image credits: PDChina

#21 Nurse Takes A Selfie To Show What Wearing A Mask Does To Her Face

Image credits: PDChina

#22 Me After I Finished My Shift In The Covid Department

Image credits: lacicci84

#23 This Is The Face Of Someone Who Just Spent 9 Hours In Personal Protective Equipment Moving Critically Ill Covid19 Patients Around London

“I feel broken – and we are only at the start. I am begging people, please please do social distancing and self isolation”

Image credits: silv24

#24 This Was Me Last Night On Shift As A Critical Nurse When I Went On My Lunch Hour After Wearing A Mask And All The Gear And Do You Know What I Wouldn’t Be Doing Anything Else!

Image credits: 84sterbz

#25 Here’s Mine From Yesterday After Only 4 Hours

Image credits: lizzys39

#26 Marks On Nurse Face

Image credits: franziskanordmann

#27 Nurse After Hours Of Work In Intensive Care

Image credits: qaisernawab098

#28 Marks On Nurse Face

Image credits: maraya_978

#29 I Was Honestly Wondering If Everyone’s Face Was Bright Red After Taking Off Their Mask. Stay Safe Everyone!

Image credits: RyTy21

#30 I’m Not Afraid When I’m At Work. I’m Doing What I Was Trained To Do. I’m Afraid When We Run Out Of Resources— Supplies And Staff.

“Covid19 is real and it’s here. Stay home, wash your hands and stop buying all the things that healthcare workers need to do their job. When we don’t have what we need to take care of you, we too will become ill… then who’s left to take care of you and your loved ones?”

Image credits: megsm16

#31 Here’s A Massive Thank You To The Icu Nurses, Intensivists, And Rts Who Are Wearing This Ppe For An Upwards Of 30-40 Minutes, If Not Longer

“If you were to wear an N95 mask properly for about 5-8 minutes in a patient’s room to let’s say take your patient to the bathroom safely, administer medications, or do an assessment, you’d probably have marks similar to these on your face⁣
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Not only are you left with these temporary marks, but you quickly experience difficulty breathing after the first few minutes of applying the mask. You also start to heat up from the layers of gown, gloves, and eye shield⁣
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…so here’s a massive thank you to the ICU nurses, intensivists, and RTs who are wearing this PPE for an upwards of 30-40 minutes, if not longer, during invasive (aerosol-generating) bedside procedures. Whether they’re dealing with an extubation or are all hands on deck during a code, they deserve a huge shout out for the physical exhaustion they endure when providing the safest & best care possible to their patients
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*Disclaimer – this photo was taken at home after wearing one of my Dad’s masks that he uses for work (he works in settings with fresh paint, dust, sanding, and welding)”

Image credits: yournursingeducator

#32 As Most Of The World Is Isolating, Shutting Down, And Running As Far A Away From The Virus This Guy, Will Be Running Into It. This Guy Is My Guy And He Is An Emergency Room Doctor

“Today, my husband will be trained on how to don & doff – put on and take off a full protective suit. He will learn how to use and remove his gloves, masks, & eye shield protection. His mask will be tested. His gear will be poked and prodded with him in it. His nerves will be tested too but, he won’t fuss. People are sick and this his job. My husband is also part of a medical covid_19 team that will be doing everything & giving their everything to ensure as many people as possible come out on the other side of this crisis. He, along with the every other extraordinary nurse & frontline worker knows one thing is for sure – life how we have known it won’t look the same over the next several weeks. He will have to make devestating and heartbreaking decisions. He will be super exposed to the sickest patients. Some nights he will come home and need to talk. Other nights he won’t want to speak at all and that’s ok because I will be there. I’m so grateful I can be.. My husband does not like accolades or much attention, hence the very few pics of him on IG. Though now more than ever he and every other frontline worker needs to be told they are our heroes. Please do the same. In France while in lockdown, social media users have launched an initiative to show gratitude & support we applaud To every doctor & to all the other frontline heroes thank you. Thank you so much for your dedication & determination to fight this virus and to help those who need you now and need you the most”

Image credits: danalevenson

#33 Hospital Policy Now Mask At All Times. I Have Been Doing In Ccu Anyhow. Critical Step To Reduce Transmission, For Example Among Asymptomatic Hcws

“Not sure can do nationally because not enough masks. Need more than proclamations – need factories converted and running”

Image credits: jasonwasfy

#34 At The Front Lines Of Coronavirus

Image credits: amanda.ramalhoo

Source: boredpanda.com