A photograph of healthcare workers flying into New York to help with the coronavirus outbreak has gone viral.
New York is currently the epicenter of the US outbreak of the pandemic. The John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center reports that there have been a total of 1,096 deaths there alone at the time of writing. There have been a total of 4,081 deaths in the US.
US Surgeon General Jerome Adams says that the coronavirus outbreak is going to worsen this week:The picture of the healthcare workers was captioned: "More than a dozen healthcare professionals from Atlanta answered the call to serve in New York this past Friday. Thank you to the first responders, medical professionals, healthcare workers, and anyone else on the front lines today and every day keeping us safe. #SouthwestHeart"
Southwest said of the now-viral photo on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter: "This photo embodies it all: bravery, courage, and sacrifice. If it were easy, everyone would do it, but we know that is not the case.
"Thankfully, this group and countless others do it each day, and for that we are forever grateful and in their debt. So to all the first responders, medical professionals, healthcare workers, and anyone else on the front lines today and every day to keep us safe, thank you."
Needless to say, in addition to the thousands of likes the picture has received across social media, users were also quick to praise the healthcare workers.
One Twitter user wrote: "true American heroes!!!!!!"
A second remarked: "Thank you for aiding these amazing people with getting to their destination to serve our nation during this dark time. #StaySafe guys and everyone else please #StayHome"
The picture comes as Fox News reports that Delta Air Lines and JetBlue are offering free flights to medical professionals so that they can travel to the areas where they're needed the most.
The John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center reports that there have been a total of 861,305 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally and 42,365 deaths.