The emotional toll of the coronavirus on health care workers was captured in a heartbreaking video recorded in Saudi Arabia recently, showing a nurse having to refuse a hug from his little son after returning from work.

In the video, Naser Ali Al-Shahrani, a nurse in Riyadh, becomes upset after he says “No, no!” to his son Mohamed as the little boy runs towards him with open arms.

Al-Shahrani told Storyful that this scene occurs every day when he gets home from the hospital.

“No matter what, we should never let our emotions prevail in order to preserve the safety of our children and to limit the spread of this epidemic,” he said.

Al-Shahrani hoped that by sharing the video he could “touch the hearts of the people who do not follow coronavirus lockdown rules or other precautions, such as avoiding shaking hands.”

The World Health Organization said Saudi Arabia had reported 1,012 cases of COVID-19 by March 26, with three deaths. Credit: Mohamed Ali Al-Shahrani via Storyful