march 16–29, 2020 | new york 23
topped to pick up dinner; and from a
y
fully
fear
ork
ting
wat 1 p.m. on Wednesday at the Queensbridge
Houses, America’s largest public-housing
development, seven senior citizens gathered at
an on-site senior center for a thrice-monthly
discussion about community issues, led by an
employee of the Department for the Aging
named Frank McCrea. All the attendees were
black women, and their ages ranged from 64 to- There were fewer people at the meeting, and
at the center, than usual. This week, they would
discuss the coronavirus.
The mood, when the meeting began, was not
heavy. McCrea read from a fact sheet: “Wash
your hands, don’t touch your face.” The women
bantered and traded rumors. Somebody had
heard the president’s son has the virus. Another
said a guy was spraying people with Lysol on the
subway. Another had recently returned from a
cruise to Mexico. The disease was on their
minds, but it was, for the moment, an abstrac-
tion. “So,” asked Janie Edwards, 64, “you think
we’ll be okay at the casino?” A monthly seniors’
trip to Empire City Casino, in Yonkers, was
scheduled for the following Wednesday. She
joked that she could wipe the slots with Clorox.
(covid-19’s first New Jersey fatality worked at
Empire City Casino’s Yonkers Raceway. The
track has since closed.)
As the session went on, concerns grew more
pointed. McCrea read from the fact sheet:
“People most at risk are those with health con-
ditions, including chronic lung disease, heart
disease, diabetes, cancer, or weakened immune
system.” This described essentially everyone in
the room. The seniors, who all lived alone, won-
dered how a quarantined resident would
receive meals and medical attention. Catherine
Jordan, 78, and Nellie Pettway, 79, are depen-
dent on home health aides, who help them five
days a week for five to six hours a day. Who
would care for them if their aides were to con-
tract the virus? “If one person in the whole
building would have it,” Edwards asked, “do you
think they would shut down the whole build-
ing?” There is no answer to this question. The
Housing Authority, in an email, said its protocol
“is the same as it is for every New Yorker.” Since
the start of the outbreak, nycha hasn’t held one
meeting for residents about the virus across any
of its 316 developments. Now, it is likely too
imprudent, and too late, to do so. ■
Seniors in PublicHousing LookFor Answers
By Simon van Zuylen-WoodA 1,809-Person Poll
On Wednesday, March 11, we asked New Yorkers how they
were coping. We got a lot of answers.How afraid are you of coronavirus?What’s the biggest sacrifice you’ve made?
What’s the last thing you’ll give up?
37%I’m not very
concerned about
getting it, but it’s
pr obably going to
make a mess.30%
I’ ll probably get
it , and I’m not
looking forward
to having a flu.30
%
This is about
to get
ex tremely
bad.3 %
Sure, it’s bad but this
se ems a little much;
it ’s just a tough flu.Which location do
you find the scariest?Public transportation
Your workplace
Your doctor’s office
Your gym
Restaurants and bars
Your kid’s school79 %
9 %
5 %
3 %
3 %
1 %have stocked up on
nonperishables and
cleaning items...55%are working remotely...63%have canceled plans.59%How many days
do you think you
could survive on
what you have?1-3 days ........................ 14%
3-6 Days ...................... 26%
7-10 days .................... 30%
10-14 days .................... 17%
15+ days ........................ 13%Totally .............................. 3%
Significantly ................. 8%
Somewhat .................. 22%
A tiny bit ...................... 25%
Not at all ...................... 42%Do you think
the media
has overblown the
threat?Have you booked a cheap flight?“Going to
work.”58%Not yet, but
I might.No.Yes. 35%7%37% 26% 18 % 17 % 2%
Going out eating
and drinkingSeeing
re lativesGoing to Dating
the gymOther“I am immunocompromised
and have reactive-
airway disorder. I live with the
dread of wondering
if I’ll be dead in a few weeks.”“stopped visiting
my brother in the
hospital. he just
had a stroke.
he told me and his
friends and family
not to come.”“Sending
my kid to
“My wedding is in two weeks.” d ay care .”“Meditation
m eeting.”“Daily coffee-
shop v i sit.”“Having to listen to my boyfriend, who is
obsessed, constantly talk about the
coronavirus and give me real-time updates
on every damn thing that hits the news.”“I’m just anxious all
the time. I’m less
concerned about getting/
surviving the virus
than I am with how
people are panicking.”“Cutting contact with my
daughter. She has children in
school. I live in
shared housing with seniors.”“I work as an event planner, and
all of our events through
May have been canceled. We are
a small business and worried
about not being able to keep all
of our employees.”Y ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EICTRANSMITTED
________ COPY ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC0620FEA_Corona_lay [Print]_36899495.indd 23 3/13/20 9:54 PMmarch16–29, 2020 | newyork 23at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at the Queensbridge
Houses, America’s largest public-housing
development, seven senior citizens gathered at
an on-site senior center for a thrice-monthly
discussion about community issues, led by an
employee of the Department for the Aging
named Frank McCrea. All the attendees were
black women, and their ages ranged from 64 to- There were fewer people at the meeting, and
at the center, than usual. This week, they would
discuss the coronavirus.
The mood, when the meeting began, was not
heavy. McCrea read from a fact sheet: “Wash
your hands, don’t touch your face.” The women
bantered and traded rumors. Somebody had
heard the president’s son has the virus. Another
said a guy was spraying people with Lysol on the
subway. Another had recently returned from a
cruise to Mexico. The disease was on their
minds, but it was, for the moment, an abstrac-
tion. “So,” asked Janie Edwards, 64, “you think
we’ll be okay at the casino?” A monthly seniors’
trip to Empire City Casino, in Yonkers, was
scheduled for the following Wednesday. She
joked that she could wipe the slots with Clorox.
(covid-19’s first New Jersey fatality worked at
Empire City Casino’s Yonkers Raceway. The
track has since closed.)
As the session went on, concerns grew more
pointed. McCrea read from the fact sheet:
“People most at risk are those with health con-
ditions, including chronic lung disease, heart
disease, diabetes, cancer, or weakened immune
system.” This described essentially everyone in
the room. The seniors, who all lived alone, won-
dered how a quarantined resident would
receive meals and medical attention. Catherine
Jordan, 78, and Nellie Pettway, 79, are depen-
dent on home health aides, who help them five
days a week for five to six hours a day. Who
would care for them if their aides were to con-
tract the virus? “If one person in the whole
building would have it,” Edwards asked, “do you
think they would shut down the whole build-
ing?” There is no answer to this question. The
Housing Authority, in an email, said its protocol
“is the same as it is for every New Yorker.” Since
the start of the outbreak, nycha hasn’t held one
meeting for residents about the virus across any
of its 316 developments. Now, it is likely too
imprudent, and too late, to do so. ■
Seniors in PublicHousing LookFor Answers
By Simon van Zuylen-WoodA 1,809-Person Poll
On Wednesday, March 11, we asked New Yorkers how they
were coping. We got a lot of answers.How afraid are you of coronavirus?What’sthebiggestsacrificeyou’vemade?What’sthelastthingyou’llgiveup?37%I’mnot very
concernedabout
gettingit, but it’s
pr obablygoingto
makea mess.30%
I’ ll probablyget
it , andI’mnot
lookingforward
to havinga flu.30
%
This is about
to get
ex tremely
bad.3 %
Sure,it’sbadbut this
se emsa littlemuch;
it ’s justa toughflu.Which location do
you find the scariest?Public transportation
Your workplace
Your doctor’s office
Your gym
Restaurants and bars
Your kid’s school79 %
9 %
5 %
3 %
3 %
1 %havestockedup on
nonperishablesand
cleaningitems...55%are working remotely...63%have canceled plans.59%How many days
do you think you
could survive on
what you have?1-3 days ........................ 14%
3-6 Days ...................... 26%
7-10 days .................... 30%
10-14 days .................... 17%
15+ days ........................ 13%Totally .............................. 3%
Significantly ................. 8%
Somewhat .................. 22%
A tiny bit ...................... 25%
Not at all ...................... 42%Do you think
the media
has overblown the
threat?Have you booked a cheap flight?“Goingto
work.”58%Not yet, but
I might.No.Yes. 35%7%37% 26% 18 % 17 % 2%Going out eating
and drinkingSeeing
re lativesGoingto Dating
thegymOther“I amimmunocompromised
andhave reactive-
airway disorder.I livewith the
f wondering
if I’l d in a few weeks.”“stoppedvisiting
mybrotherinthe
hospital. hejust
a st
me s
an y
nottocome.”“Sending
my kid to
“My wedding is in two weeks.” d ay care .”“Meditation
m eeting.”“Daily coffee-
shop v i sit.”“Having to listen to my boyfriend,whois
obsessed, constantly talkaboutthe
coronavirus and give me real-timeupdates
on every damn thing that hitsthenews.”“I’m just anxious all
the time. I’m less
concerned about getting/
surviving the virus
than I am with how
people are panicking.”“C y
dau insharedhousingwith seniors.”“I work as an event planner, and
all of our events through
May have been canceled. We are
a small business and worried
about not being able to keep all
of our employees.”