BBC Copyright: BBC

On 26 March, Chicago stopped for a moment of gratitude: People took to their balconies, porches and rooftops, cheering and ringing bells in the dark winter night.

The applause was for the healthcare workers, first responders and service-industry employees on the frontlines of the pandemic who were risking their lives every day to save people from the virus wreaking havoc around the world.

But for hospital cleaner Candice Martinez, the recognition of nurses and doctors has left her feeling empty.

"It's disappointing to me that us 'lower level employees' aren't getting any kind of recognition for what we are doing."

As an Environmental Services Worker at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Ms Martinez is responsible for cleaning the rooms while patients are in hospital or after they are discharged or moved.

She is one of the thousands of essential employees in the city who still have to go to work despite the crisis. And one of the 12,571 cases of Covid-19 identified in Chicago.

Read the full story here.