Nurses on the front lines of the country's COVID-19 epicenter are getting some mental relief in a unique way ... puppies are live streaming inside a Los Angeles hospital.
Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... a hospital on Los Angeles' Westside recently installed a puppy cam in the nurses' station, beaming in live video of adorable pooches to help boost morale.
Our sources say the puppy assist is the brainchild of the hospital's chief nursing officer, who wanted to help nurses feeling stressed out by the pandemic, which is overwhelming L.A. hospitals.
Not surprisingly, puppy cam is a huge hit ... we're told folks working at the hospital absolutely love seeing the dogs, and even taking a small moment in a hectic day to watch the pups is helping decrease stress levels.
L.A. hospitals are scrambling to find beds for COVID patients as the virus continues to surge, so the nurses really need the morale boost.
Sorry, cats, this round goes to the dogs.