The front lines of the crisis: 19 photos from COVID-19 hospitals around the world.

As the world grapples with the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, our healthcare systems have responded in unprecedented ways.

Convention centres and footy fields across the globe have been turned into makeshift hospitals to house patients suffering from the potentially fatal infection.

Watch: Your most common questions about COVID-19, answered. Post continues below.

It is, of course, a situation rapidly spiralling to extremes, and the images that have emerged from the pandemic are as eye-opening as they are heartbreaking.

At the time of reporting, on March 28, there are nearly 600,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide. Over 27,000 people have died, and 133,000 have recovered.

From the protective gear worn by healthcare professionals to the makeshift hospital tents set up in the United States, these photos demonstrate the extreme measures being taken by hospitals across the globe.

Madrid, Spain