A doctor on the front line of fighting coronavirus won't be able to hold his newborn baby for weeks.
In a poignant tweet earlier today, mum Rachel Patzer spoke of how her husband, a physician at the emergency department of a US hospital, has been treating COVID-19 patients.
Due to his work, he has made the heart-wrenching decision to isolate himself from his family, including his three-week-old daughter.
Highlighting the sacrifices being made by health workers around the world, she says he will sleep in their garage apartment "for the foreseeable future".
"It pains me to wonder how many weeks will go by that he won’t get to hold our new baby or see our older kids," the mum-of-three said.
Follow our LIVE blog for updates on the coronavirus outbreak
"This is one example of the sacrifice that healthcare workers are making for our communities."
Rachel, a epidemiologist at Emory University in Georgia, explained that with a newborn baby and two young children, the family couldn't risk carrying on as normal.
"As I attempt to home school my kids (alone) with a new baby who screams if she isn’t held, I am worried about the health of my spouse and my family," she continued.
"This was not how I envisioned my maternity leave, but I know things could be worse."
There are now 4,585 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the US.
The public health expert has urged others to think carefully about ignoring government advice to keep a safe distance from others while medics are risking their lives to nurse the ill.
"It is difficult to see pictures of all the people at bars and restaurants, socializing, making play dates, and ignoring social distancing recommendations when I know my husband and many other healthcare workers are risking their lives to treat more sick patients," she continued.
"Please, take this #pandemic seriously.
"I hope the projections of infections and serious cases are incorrect. If not, our healthcare system will be overloaded. And already we are seeing the strain.
"Please thank a healthcare worker for what they are doing and sacrificing."
Around 55,000 people in the UK have coronavirus and the aim is for fewer than 20,000 people to die from it, the Government's chief scientific adviser has said.
Sir Patrick Vallance said the number of deaths was "horrible" and there would still be a huge amount of strain on the health service from COVID-19.
It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson told his Cabinet the coronavirus pandemic is a "war" that must be won as he set out plans for a team to tackle the outbreak and economic chaos.
During a hearing of the Health Select Committee, chairman Jeremy Hunt asked Sir Patrick whether the expected death rate was one fatality for every 1,000 cases, which would mean that there are "potentially 55,000 cases" at present.
