Registered nurse Emily Moak, left, patient care assistant Amber Letcher, right, and respiratory therapist Melissa Jones assist with the ventilator care of a COVID-19 patient at Merit Health Natchez.

Merit Health Natchez registered nurse Emily Moak puts on her personal protection equipment before entering the room of a COVID-19 patient in need of ventilator care. The personal protection equipment is stored in vestibules created using Visqueen, in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

Signs of support from community members line the hallways of the Merit Health Natchez hospital, where health care workers are facing COVID-19 on the front lines.

Registered nurse Suzanne Price, who is also the director of the ICU and stepdown unit, gives encouragement through a hospital window as a virus patients performs rehabilitation exercises.

Registered nurse Shonta Swayze puts on a shield as part of her personal protection equipment before entering a patient’s room at the Merit Health ICU.

Registered nurse Bambi Smith administers medicine to a patient recovering from COVID-19 on the second floor of the Merit Health Natchez hospital. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

(Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Nurse Barbara Conner and Brandi Bateman from Medical Imaging work in the wing with COVID-19 patients in rehabilitation. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Terry Doss with environmental services passes by monitor technician Ruby Showers, who keeps watch over the telemetry of all of the patients in the COVID-19 unit on the second floor of the hospital. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

The telemetry of COVID-19 patients at Merit Health Natchez are reflected in Ruby Showers glasses as she monitors the screens. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Merit Health registered nurses Logan Dallalio and Bambi Smith discuss a patient in the ICU. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the hospital constructed vestibules out of Visqueen and duct tape in front of patient rooms for the storage of personal protection and to help prevent the spread of the virus. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Suzanne Price helps Shonta Swayze put on her personal protection equipment. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

(Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Registered nurse Wanda Thompson gets her temperature checked at a screening at the entrance of the hospital. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Dr. Lee England and Dr. Christopher Martin review patient files at the Merit Health ICU. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)