As Samaritans' Purse medical staff repeatedly wash their hands at our field hospital in Italy, they've also dedicated that 20 seconds to intentionally praying for each of the 50-plus people who are currently receiving treatment there.

"Jesus is the only One who can help us right now," said physician's assistant Stephanie Morales. "We've got a situation where we've got a virus that cannot be treated by antibiotics."

The number of Italians infected with COVID-19, or coronavirus, has risen past 69,000 and the country's death toll from this disease—over 6,800—stands as the highest of any nation in the world. Hundreds are dying daily.

Many elderly patients end up on ventilators, which have been in short supply since the coronavirus pandemic became so widespread.

The worst affected area is northern Italy, in the Lombardy region, where we've set up our respiratory care unit at the local hospital in the city of Cremona. The hospital has been inundated with patients—quickly overrunning their eight-bed ICU by 400 percent. Samaritan's Purse is partnering with the hospital to relieve some of the patient care. Our mobile medical unit offers 68 beds, 10 of which are equipped for intensive care.

"We're treating the patients the same way as over at the hospital, but we're adding prayer and we're adding Jesus and we're praying for our patients," Stephanie said. "They're so wanting prayer."

As patients receive critical care from our doctors and nurses, their countenance begins to change and a glimmer of hope and comfort emerges.

"Yesterday, a patient came by ambulance and she was actually able to walk, but she was very sick. She was very scared because she knows—everyone knows—what this disease does," said nurse Kelly Sites.

Within hours of spending time in the women's ward, the patient was able to smile and felt some relief for the first time in weeks. "She was smiling for the first time in a long time and she said, 'thank you so much.' Yesterday she was very nervous but today she feels loved and cared for," Kelly said.

Finding Family During Crisis
Samaritan's Purse doctors and nurses become the closest thing to family that these patients have as they are not allowed visitors due to the risk of contamination. "When you're in the hospital, you need the support of your family, and it encourages you and helps you heal to have them near you. But with this disease, we can't allow that," Kelly said.

In the same way, many of our staff have left friends and family in the United States—a country increasingly impacted by the disease we are fighting in Italy. They feel their absence while worrying for their safety.

"In my ten-year career, this is the first time we are leaving a disaster to come to a disaster," Kelly said. A sense of care and love that comes from one's own family has developed between the patients and our staff as they both face the sacrifice of separation. "One foot's home and one foot's here."

Samaritan's Purse team members pray that these patients walk out of our respiratory care unit healed by God's hand and are able to go forth as a living testimony to what He is doing through our teams in Italy.

"Getting to pray with them, I've seen a lot of people cry and be so grateful just to have someone pray," Stephanie said. "We have confidence that Jesus is bigger than this so I'm excited to see what the results are—healing people when medicine wasn't able to."

Please continue to pray for these patients, the health and safety of our team members, and for people in Italy and around the world impacted by coronavirus. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Countdown for Historic Space Mission Artemis II Begins

Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Halt Construction on Privately Funded White House Ballroom; Trump Responds

Trump Rolls Out a Plan to Back Farmers amid Rising Costs, Pledging 'Golden Age'

Trump's Election Executive Order is Causing a Meltdown among Liberals

Another Illegal Alien Charged With Murder in Democrat Run Fairfax County, Virginia

US Forces Reach 12,000 Combat Flights, Debunk Fake News About Iran Operation

President Trump Addresses Nation Tonight, Signals End in Sight for Iran Conflict

Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Birthright Citizenship, as the CCP Exploits It to Sway US Elections

ICYMI: Iranian People March in DC in Support of Op Epic Fury and Trump; 'We Will Reclaim Our Country'

Trump's FDA Indicates Move Away from Testing on Dogs, Bunnies, Chimpanzees

Chicago Bulls Dump Player after His Criticism of Pride Month

Finally Confirmed: Michigan Synagogue Car Ramming Was 'Hezbollah-Inspired' Terror Attack

SURPRISE! Zohran Mamdani's New 'Free' Childcare Program is Going to Cost $60,000 Per Child

Courtroom Bombshell: ATF Can't Link Bullet That Killed Charlie Kirk to Suspect's Rifle

FBI: Over 6,200 Missing Children Located, More Than 300 Human Traffickers and 1,700 Child Predators Arrested over Past Year

SCOTUS Rules on Colorado's Ban on 'Conversion Therapy' to Help Gender Dysphoric Individuals

President Trump Shares Letter on Palm Sunday, from Franklin Graham Discussing Salvation

HSLDA Lawyer Warns This Bill Would Create a 'Surveillance State' for Homeschooling Families

Major Airports Return to Normal as TSA Workers Get Paid

GROTESQUE: Barack Obama's Orwellian Push for Virginia Redistricting Is Something to Behold