When Erik Modrzynski got an email saying somebody had 鈥渄ecorated鈥� the fence of the MUSC Health drive-through coronavirus sample collection site, the emergency manager was worried.

鈥淚 kind of panicked, thinking maybe somebody spray-painted it or something along those lines. But then we saw it was beautiful messages from people.鈥�

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Sign after sign had been posted on the metal fence in the Citadel Mall parking lot.

鈥淵ou are amazing. Thanks for braving the coronavirus,鈥� one said.

Another read, 鈥淭hank you for your service.鈥� It was aimed at the dozens of nurses and other health care workers staffing the site, many in hazmat-style suits at a time when temperatures can creep above 80 degrees.

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A third sign simply said, 鈥淔eel better,鈥� to the hundreds of South Carolinians coming to the drive-through sample collection site each day to have their noses swabbed for evidence of COVID-19.

The messages hit home at a place where life hasn鈥檛 stopped as it has for many in our state. In health care, life is on overdrive as doctors, nurses and others know they can鈥檛 stay home. They have to walk toward the crisis.

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鈥淲e see a lot of patients,鈥� Modrzynski said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e growing on a daily basis. Today, I think we have 400 patients scheduled.鈥� That鈥檚 400 people on a single day being swabbed at the drive-through MUSC Health site.

鈥淚t鈥檚 surreal, to be honest,鈥� the emergency manager said. 鈥淵ou train for this. You think of different plans. But when鈥檚 the last time we had something like this happen?鈥�

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Messages of support, which have also cropped up on the main MUSC Health campus in downtown Charleston, are a reminder that health care workers鈥� hard work hasn鈥檛 gone unnoticed.

Modrzynski said those workers are grateful for the kind gestures. 鈥淚 feel like our nurses here have a mission in mind, and that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e working toward, which is helping people. It鈥檚 fantastic.鈥�

If you鈥檇 like to help in the fight against COVID-19 in South Carolina, check out the MUSC Health听.