Fast-food workers at chains like McDonald's and Taco Bell are still considered essential employees as other businesses are forced to shut down amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Healthcare workers, truck drivers, and other essential workers who need fast, inexpensive food are relying on chains as many restaurants and other businesses close.

"I think restaurants are essential," said Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, an emergency physician. "Remember, we have thousands of healthcare workers who are working long shifts, aren't going to have time to cook or prepare food and may be relying on restaurants to keep them going during this time."

Fast-food executives have spoken with President Donald Trump and other government leaders about how chains can help feed the US during the coronavirus pandemic, promoting the use of delivery and drive-thru.

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Dozens of fast-food workers have contacted Business Insider in the last several weeks, expressing fears about going to work, hopes that locations will shut down, and confusion about why they're considered essential businesses.

Yet, governments, executives, and some medical experts say that it is essential these chains remain open.

"I think restaurants are essential," Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, an emergency physician and the director of global health for Northwell Health, told Business Insider.

"Remember, we have thousands of healthcare workers who are working long shifts, aren't going to have time to cook or prepare food and may be relying on restaurants to keep them going during this time," Cioe-Pena continued.

Beyond healthcare workers, fast food also provides inexpensive and speedy options for other essential workers who might not be able to go grocery shopping.

Many of the 1.8 million truck drivers across the US are struggling to find places to eat as restaurants and truck stops close due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since their trucks do not fit through drive-thru lanes, restaurants' shift towards drive-thru and delivery could eliminate even more of their options.

"As the world continues to address the quickly changing landscape, we are in this together with you, our valued friends in the trucking and transportation industry," Bill Garrett, McDonald's senior vice president of operations, said in an open letter on Monday. "Thank you for everything you are doing to keep essential parts of our economy going."

McDonald's has rolled out an ordering system aimed at drivers, which allows them to pick up orders at a trucker-specific curbside location. Vice President Mike Pence mentioned the curbside delivery system in a speech this week, praising the chain for its work to provide truckers with food.

Workers ask customers who don't need Big Macs to stay home — or at least be polite during the pandemic

Taco Bell drive-thru workers. Taco Bell

Last week, fast-food industry leaders including the president of McDonald's US business and the CEOs of Chick-fil-A, Papa John's, and Restaurant Brands International, the parent company of Burger King, Popeyes, and Tim Hortons, got on a phone call with President Donald Trump to discuss the role of chains in the coronavirus pandemic.

A top priority, according to Restaurant Brands International CEO José Cil, was explaining why chains should stay open and how they could serve the country while people were social distancing.

"We have the ability to help feed America," Cil told Business Insider last week.

"The challenge here is that when you're dealing with a circumstance like this, if we don't utilize businesses like Burger King, Tim's and Popeyes ... It's really difficult for Americans to be fed, because it's going to be difficult for them to get all their other food and necessities from the supermarket," Cil continued.

The workers who have spoken with Business Insider have been less optimistic about their role in feeding the US, and more concerned about catching or spreading the coronavirus by going to work. Business Insider has verified workers' identities and employment at chains, granting anonymity to allow them to speak freely about the situation.

"I have gotten thanks in my drive-thru from nurses and healthcare workers for being open, because they're like, we don't know where we get our morning coffee if you guys weren't open," a McDonald's worker named Niki told Business Insider, requesting that only her first name be used.

"I want to be open for them," Niki said. "But for the people that are coming through just because they feel like they need a frappe or a chocolate shake — we do kind of feel like a little bit a twinge of, 'you selfish a------.'"

Some workers said that they've faced rude customers or dealt with abuse from people who are annoyed by safety measures that have been put in place, such as social distancing rules and contactless service.

"I hate to generalize, but so many Starbucks customers are extremely entitled," a Starbucks worker said last week. "They will cough all over us without covering their mouths, they will berate us, all in the midst of a pandemic."