Ambulance technicians Itxaso Garcia Giaconi and Marisa Arguello de Paula work the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic in Spain, one of the countries worst hit by the disease.
Emer McCarthy reports.
On the frontline with Spain's first responders
It's another day on the frontline for ambulance technicians Itxaso (I-tsa-so) Garcia Giaconi and Marisa Arguello de Paula.
Operating in the Basque Country in northern Spain, the pair are often the first contact a patient will have with healthcare staff as they head to hospital.
(SOUNDBITE) (SPANISH) AMBULANCE TECHNICIAN, ITXASO GARCIA GIACONI, SAYING:"By phone they tell us where to go, the name of the person.
They tell us what's the problem and where the transfer will be done.
When we arrive at the address, we ring to check how the person is doing and what kind of help they need, if they need one person or two to remove them." The pair say the situation in Spanish hospitals has improved since the onset of the outbreak-- and patients are calmer.
(SOUNDBITE) (SPANISH) EMERGENCY AMBULANCE TECHNICIAN MARISA ARGUELLO DE PAULA, SAYING:"The good thing about my job?
There are people who re very grateful.
They thank you however small the thing that you do in this situation is.
You get to see very tough things and yet people always have a smile for you, and you have it for them even though they can't see our faces under these circumstances.
Also the people's solidarity." According to Reuters data Spain is second only to the United States in terms of confirmed cases - with more than 200,000.
But on Monday (April 20), Health officials said virus "occurrence is falling a lot".