LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two nurse practitioners from the Louisville area said they didn't hesitate to answer the call to help others in New York City.
Melinda Dolack and Kelly O'Loane joined many others across the country who headed toward the United States' epicenter of COVID-19 cases as the pandemic rose to tragic levels.
The city is an eerie sight, streets empty of their usual bustle. Inside its hospitals, though, the outcomes have grown grim.
"Our hospital has 7-8 refrigerated trucks in the back," Dolack said. "Each hospital has refrigerated trucks full of the deceased. Yes, it's very real."
Dolack and O'Loane are working in a COVID-19 testing tent outside Bellevue Hospital. They've seen a range of people testing positive with no symptoms and others who've tested positive who have trouble breathing and need immediate help.
They arrived on April 1 for the a three-week shift to help provide relief for health care workers.
"We're steady all day long," O'Loane said. "And as day goes on, it gets lighter, because we are going as fast as we can getting people through."
They've helped test hundreds of people with more and more tests becoming available.
New York is a hotspot for the virus, with more than 161,000 cases and deaths topping 7,000. There are more cases in New York than any other state.
From Dolack and O'Loane's experience in New York City, the two have this message for people in Kentucky:
"Just take it serious," Dolack said. "We're here to help ... and hopefully to get New York back to its splendor."
They want people listen to Gov. Andy Beshear and the guidelines, reminding that just because you feel fine doesn't mean you don't have the virus. They said people should not be holding driveway parties but instead should be taking extra precautions, even wearing masks in the house.
When they both return home, they plan to self-quarantine for two weeks before returning to work.
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