McElmon, 40, says his hospital has been rationing supplies as they brace for a surge in patients, and that because of low supplies, he’s had to wear a mask for more than one day.

“Patients know we are in fear now—the rationing of supplies, some of us wearing trash bags [because there aren’t enough sterile gowns],” he says, referencing other hospitals who have had to resort to those measures. “Loved ones dropping loved ones off in the ER, and they can’t come in. But I have to show up and do my job.”

The number of cases in the United States continues to climb as states implement various lockdown orders and encourage social distancing, with more than 205,172 cases and nearly 4,540 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon, according to The New York Times.

• Reporting by CAITLIN KEATING and JASON SHEELER

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