Like other medical professionals, they are at high risk of exposure. At least seven Filipino employees of the NHS, including nurses, porters and a nurse’s assistant, have died from Covid-19, according to news reports. In the United States, the virus has claimed the lives of at least five nurses and a doctor from the Philippines.

Image Ms. Buendia’s aunt, Araceli Buendia Ilagan, a nurse in Miami, died from Covid-19 last month.

“The common denominator is that we’re all scared,” Ms. Buendia said of herself and her three housemates, who are also Filipino nurses. They all work at the same hospital in York and have been in England since September.

Howard Catton, chief executive of the International Council of Nurses, a federation of national nurse associations, said migrant nurses had been “massively important” in helping countries like Britain, Spain and Italy fight the virus.

But he said the crisis underscored the need for developed countries to train their own nurses rather than relying so heavily on migrants.

This month, the Philippines, which says it needs about 300,000 more health care workers than it has, barred them from leaving the country, citing the need to protect them from infection and to ensure they were available to fight the virus at home.

Migration is woven into the Philippines’ culture. As much as 10 percent of the population works overseas, sending money home, and nursing is one of the most popular options. On average, 13,000 nurses go abroad each year. Nursing recruitment agencies pave the way for visas and certifications so they can find jobs overseas.