Some veterans in the Rio Grande Valley are now fighting a new enemy: COVID-19.

Dan Diaz, a registered nurse at South Texas Health System, served in the U.S. Army.

"I caught COVID working in one of the units when we were still dealing with the initial hit of it," Diaz said. "There was a lot of patients everywhere. And a few days later, I just started having chills. And then I had a fever."

Diaz had COVID-19.

"I actually tested negative pretty quickly within 10 days, but about two weeks later I started with a cough that just wouldn't go away," Diaz said.

Sam Vela, a respiratory therapist supervisor at South Texas Health System, served in the U.S. Air Force.

Since the pandemic started, they've seen dozens of people die as a result of the virus.

"This is real. Take this as serious as you possibly can," Vela said. "I personally had family members that have died from COVID. I've seen people struggle with it. This is not something that you can play with."

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