As the healthcare heroes at Cedars-Sinai care for patients during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we're checking in with our staff on the front lines to see what the current situation looks like across our hospitals. 

"To see someone so sick and so vulnerable, and for me to help them get better and help their families understand what they're going through—that's when I knew that is what I was meant to do," says nurse Melissa Rue.

For many COVID-19 patients, careful monitoring is crucial. The severity of symptoms varies among patients, and care team members are working hard to identify and help those in need.

Read: Healthcare Heroes: Cedars-Sinai ER

"In the ICU (intensive care unit) right now, our staff is doubled," says Lauren Yamashita, a nurse at Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital. "It's inspiring to see so many co-workers willing to come in extra days to help out."

"The teamwork overall has been so much greater," says Lauren. "I didn't think it could be better than it already was."

After discharging patients, staff often receive messages thanking them for all they did during such a difficult time.

"I'm proud to say I work with really good nurses, and despite the anxiety and the fear of getting infected, they do their jobs and they do it very well," says nurse Irine Quintas.

The community also has stepped up to support staff in their time of need.

"There's been an outpouring of love," says emergency room nurse Marlon Bustamente. "We're well fed. We joke around that the 19 in COVID-19 stands for the 19 pounds we're all going to gain after all of this."

In the Newsroom: COVID-19: What You Need to Know