David Ortiz Thanks Mass General Staff During Coronavirus

BOSTON, MA — David Ortiz shouted out and thanked the hospital staff at Massachusetts General Hospital on Friday for their work on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Big Papi left the workers a video message which is on the hospital's YouTube account.

"I just want to take this moment to say thank you so much, thank you very much, to every single nurse and doctor at Mass General Hospital," Ortiz said.

He hinted at his own personal connection to Mass General hospital staff — he spent weeks recovering at Mass General following a shooting in the Dominican Republic. "We know how great you guys are. Especially me. I know how wonderful you guys are," he said.

Acknowledging the staff's sacrifice, Ortiz poured with thank you's for the hospital.

As the number of infections in the state rose to over 3,000 as of Friday, the risk to hospital staff is even more apparent. Mass General Hospital reported 89 workers sick on Friday, according to the Boston Globe, twice the number from the day before.

Across the state, thirty-five people have died.

The rapid spread of the virus is straining hospitals' supply of personal protective equipment. Last week, the president of Mass General asked people with 3D printers to help make masks to help sustain the hospital supply.

Residents ordered to stay home are getting creative in finding ways to support hospital staff and say thank you by creating homemade face masks or raising money to have N95 masks shipped directly to hospitals.

Check out David Ortiz's video: