SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — In the grand walk of life, it’s not the easy times which change you. It’s the hard ones.

Times like the one healthcare workers have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nurse Rachel Bellamy said her hospital intensive care unit (ICU) floor became a COVID wing quickly when the outbreak began,

“Within 24-36 hours, it was cleared out, and we were accepting COVID patients," nurse Rachel Bellamy said.

“I’m thinking I have to do this and I have a family to protect, and we don’t know how long this is going to be. Super scary.”

That’s what it’s like to be a healthcare worker during a pandemic.

Dr. Shakil Ahmed of the American Muslim Community Center tested and treated COVID patients using a mobile clinic.

He saw firsthand what it was like on the frontlines.

“At one point, we had almost 300-600 people show up in a single day."

It was humbling, and frustrating to see the initial government response.

“A chaos, haphazard approach to the pandemic,” he said. “That was disappointing. It caused a lot of human life and morality.”

Now as Ahmed sees his patients at the American Muslim Community Center Clinic in Longwood, he urges his patients to follow the CDC guidelines and is confounded about why they have become politicized.

“Masks, social distancing, washing hands, sanitizing, these are basics,” Ahmed said. “… And our government and politicians are fighting with each other on those petty things.”

He also sees the election as an opportunity “to get the right people in the offices who can help the citizens.”

Bellamy said she felt like her hospital was equipped when it came to supplies and support. The pandemic is not changing how she feels about the government or government policies.

“It’s shown me there can be two pretty separate groups in the world,” Bellamy said. “[There are] Those who are like, ‘Let’s figure this out. Let’s fight and do what we need to do to be protected. And surprising there’s this whole other group like, it’s not real. We don’t need masks.’ ”

After all, she’s seen trying moments. And she said she only wishes people understood what is on the line

“I’ve been in that room with that patient, and it didn’t go well,” Bellamy said.

 “I made a phone call one night with a family member and said it doesn’t look good. We’re going to have to make this goodbye phone call. They didn’t end up passing away on my shift but shortly after I left. That wasn’t fun.”

She still thinks about that.