2020-03-30_People

40 March 30, 2020

readings. They don’t have many answers, and

people believe they are being treated as crimi-

nals, held against their will. We saw on the news

that people in Congress that have been exposed

are allowed to quarantine at home, and that

made a lot of people angry. We’ll have another

14 days of quarantine once we’re allowed to go

home. We intend to lock our doors and sleep.

In the New Rochelle, N.Y., containment zone,

public-health nurses Chevon Jones, 54, Kathy

Gomez, 44, and Caitlin Doyle Goldsmith, 32, have

gone door to door—wearing what they call PPE, or

personal protective equipment (a protective mask,

shield, gloves and gown)—to take testing swabs of

quarantined residents.

GOLDSMITH Everyone is very welcoming.

They’re ready to get tested, and they’re asking us,

“Can you go see my brother? Will you be seeing

my father?”

GOMEZ We want to let them know we’re not afraid.

I try to ease the kids’ minds. One boy asked me to

take a picture with him, and I didn’t know if that’s

allowed, but if it was going to help him feel better,

fine. I feel like if we don’t do this work, who will?

JONES We check and double-check to make

sure we’re putting on the gear correctly. I’m not

worried because I feel well-prepared. Just follow

what the recommendations are, and everyone

will be okay. We started on the 3rd of March, and

sometimes it becomes a blur. We went to so many

homes for so many hours—up until 11 o’clock at

night. In that first week, when my normal work

hours are 35 hours, I had an additional 41 hours.

Rabbi David Schuck’s Beth El Synagogue Center is

within the containment zone.

I’m doing a lot of pastoral counseling through

either video chat or by telephone. We’re do-

ing services through Zoom, Facebook Live and

live-streaming, and we have a slew of volunteers

picking up prescriptions or dropping off meals for

‘PEOPLE WHO

ARE OUT

AND ABOUT

ARE PRETTY

S E L F I S H....

YOUNG

PEOPLE FEEL

INVINCIBLE—

UNTIL

WE DON’T’

—STEVEN

AVILA, 30,

COVID-19

PATIENT

• What is a
  coronavirus?
  ÒCoronavirusÓ is a term
  for several types of
  viruses, from the common
  cold to SARS. The current
  strain, officially called
  COVID-19, falls on the
  more severe side and
  is Òvery contagious,Ó says
  Dr. William Haseltine, an
  infectious-disease expert
  and chair and president
  of ACCESS Health
  International.


• What are
  the symptoms?
  Early signs of COVID-19
  are Òvery similarÓ to a cold
  or fluÑa cough, fever and
  shortness of breathÑ
  says Dr. Robert Norton,
  professor of public health
  at Auburn University.
  Some 80 percent of cases
  are mild and won’t advance
  past those symptoms,
  but severe cases
  can develop into serious
  chest infections.


• Can you have it
  without showing
  symptoms?
  Yes. Symptoms may
  not show for 2 to 14
  daysÑand some
  infected people never
  develop symptomsÑbut
  even asymptomatic
  people can
  pass on the virus.


• Who’s most at risk?
  People age 60
  and upÑ Òbecause
  they have a weaker
  immune system,Ó
  says HaseltineÑ
  and anyone with
  preexisting conditions.
  While those people
  are more likely to
  experience severe
  cases, anyone can
  contract the virus.
  ÒEveryone has about
  the same chance,Ó
  says Haseltine.


• What should you
  do if you get it?
  ÒCall ahead to a doctor,Ó
  says Haseltine, so the
  physician can arrange
  for testing and avoid
  further exposure to others.
  Hospitals have set up
  direct lines for people
  with suspected cases,
  but people with
  severe symptoms should
  call an ambulance.


• Who can get tested?
  Right now, because
  of a lack of available

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CORONA

Flatten the Curve

Staying inÑeven if

people are healthyÑslows

the virus’s spread and

eases pressure on health-

care systems.

NUMBER OF CASES

HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM CAPACITY

WITHOUT

PROTECTIVE

MEASURES

TIME SINCE FIRST CASE

WITH PROTECTIVE MEASURES

P13COR8A.indd 40 FINAL 3/17/20 3:37 AM