The World Says Thank You to Healthcare Workers (PHOTOS) | The Weather Channel
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Coronavirus

Whether it’s a giant thank you note written on a bedsheet or a dedicated time to salute medical professionals, citizens around the world are finding unique ways to show their appreciation from the safety of their homes.

ByEuna Park

Euna Park

April 16, 2020
Slideshow

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A "Thank You" message and blue floodlights in honor of health care workers and first responders battling the new coronavirus are visible on the California Tower and Museum of Man in an empty Balboa Park, Monday, April 13, 2020, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Whether it’s a giant thank you note written on a bedsheet or a dedicated time to salute medical professionals, citizens around the world are finding unique ways to show their appreciation from the safety of their homes.

In cities like New York and Atlanta, residents are cheering from their windows, front doors and balconies to applaud healthcare heroes. Some use their pots and pans to sound the siren and others just clap and cheer to show their support. Buildings like the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. are illuminated with a “thank you” on the facade and the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil was illuminated as a doctor.

Healthcare workers are both saving lives and risking their own as they respond to the virus.s. There have been a reported 9,200 healthcare workers who have tested positive for the coronavirus, but officials estimate that the number is actually higher, according to The Guardian.

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Many hospitals do not even have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for their staff. Some nurses have resorted to wearing trash bags, because their hospital was out of gowns. In some states like New York, medical students were allowed to graduate early in effort to ease the burden on overworked doctors and staff treating coronavirus patients.

Others outside of the medical field have also stepped up to help hospitals. Recently, Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, sent the team jet to China to retrieve 1.7 million N95 masks for local hospitals. In addition to the efforts to provide hospitals with PPE, many are also donating funds to provide meals and housing for staff. The Four Seasons Hotel New York has transformed into a medical dorm, which currently houses around 200 doctors, nurses and medical personnel.

As of Thursday afternoon, the U.S. has over 640,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus with over 214,000 cases in New York. Though Governor Cuomo stated that cases are slowing down, he has extended the state’s stay-at-home orders to May 15. But in the midst of a global pandemic, people, cities and countries are coming together to find ways to acknowledge and aid those working on the frontlines of the coronavirus.