As millions of Americans are told to stay home to protect themselves and stem the spread of coronavirus, postal workers nationwide are still going to work, risking their health but remaining committed to delivering the letters, prescriptions and other mail people need.

Its stressful. I think about it every day, Michael, a letter carrier, told HuffPost. (His name has been changed to avoid repercussions at work.) You have to do the exact opposite of what authorities are asking people to do, which is stay home.

The 42-year-old, who delivers mail in a small city in Massachusetts, is part of a workforce deemed essential during the coronavirus crisis, meaning that like grocery store workers, firefighters, garbage collectors and more he still has to show up to work every day, even as large swaths of the country have closed stores and schools, companies have mandated employees work from home, and some states have ordered people to shelter in place .

Michaels job is the opposite of sheltering in place: Hes going from house to house to deliver mail, touching doorknobs and sharing vehicles with other coworkers. Im touching a steering wheel probably everyone in the office has touched this week, he said.

While Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines tell people to wash their hands frequently, Michaels job has him on the go, so he cant comply. He hasnt found any hand sanitizer for sale in his town, and his supervisor said the jug they all share at work was the last they had on hand.

I just wear rubber gloves and try not to touch my face I dont know what else to do, Michael said. I actually think Im going to get the virus, its just a matter of time.

In the U.S., the numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, are increasing every day. There were around 70,000 cases reported across every state as of Thursday, and over 1,000 deaths .

So far, 65 postal workers have tested positive for coronavirus, the U.S. Postal Service said Wednesday. This is still a relatively low figure among a workforce of about 630,000. But as testing is ramping up nationwide and the virus continues to spread, more cases are likely to emerge.

Sometimes Im thankful, because Im watching all of my friends get laid off in real time, Michael said, noting that coronavirus-related measures have forced closures of many businesses. But its this tightrope walk: Can I stay healthy and keep this job?