6 a.m.
Jake Perkins, 24, zips through downtown Birmingham on his bike, heading toward UAB Hospital. He’s a registered nurse, working in the medical intensive care unit that cares exclusively for the sickest COVID-19 patients.
The wind in his face is particularly welcome on the way to and from work, he says. Once he steps inside the hospital, he’ll spend the next 12 hours in an N95 respirator mask. It’s left a pink stripe above his nose, where it rubbed his skin raw.
Click here to read the rest of the story on AL.com.