'They Cleaned Other People’s Homes. Now They Fear They’re Sick.' diff viewer (1/2)

This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on April 06, 2020 12:06 (UTC). It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/nyregion/coronavirus-nyc-house-cleaners.html

The article has changed 28 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Previous version 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Next version

Previous version 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Next version

Version 1	Version 2
They Cleaned Other People’s Homes. Now They Fear They’re Sick.	They Cleaned Other People’s Homes. Now They Fear They’re Sick.
2020-04-06 12:40:15 UTC	2020-06-06 23:30:23 UTC (2 months later)
When the coronavirus struck New York City and most businesses were ordered to close, Luz’s employers on the Upper East Side of Manhattan allowed her to take a break. Two days later, they messaged her: Come back.	When the coronavirus struck New York City and most businesses were ordered to close, Luz’s employers on the Upper East Side of Manhattan allowed her to take a break. Two days later, they messaged her: Come back.
“She asked me if I was OK, if I was sick,” Luz said of her employer, a family of four with two school-aged children. The mother then told her: “If everyone in your home is OK, I need you to come help with the kids and the house.”	“She asked me if I was OK, if I was sick,” Luz said of her employer, a family of four with two school-aged children. The mother then told her: “If everyone in your home is OK, I need you to come help with the kids and the house.”
Luz, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who lives in the Bronx, is a housekeeper and nanny, and she has become her family’s sole breadwinner since her husband lost his restaurant job and the city’s economy collapsed.	Luz, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who lives in the Bronx, is a housekeeper and nanny, and she has become her family’s sole breadwinner since her husband lost his restaurant job and the city’s economy collapsed.
Her dilemma — whether to work and risk exposure to the virus, or to stay home and fall into a deeper financial hole — is one shared by many low-income New Yorkers as the city has become the epicenter of the pandemic in America.	Her dilemma — whether to work and risk exposure to the virus, or to stay home and fall into a deeper financial hole — is one shared by many low-income New Yorkers as the city has become the epicenter of the pandemic in America.
For thousands of domestic workers who clean and cook for the well off, the crisis has laid bare the city’s stratification. Struggling financially even in the best of times, they do not have the luxury of prioritizing their health now.	For thousands of domestic workers who clean and cook for the well off, the crisis has laid bare the city’s stratification. Struggling financially even in the best of times, they do not have the luxury of prioritizing their health now.
Some have already lost their jobs, with their employers departing to second homes at the beach or upstate. Those who are working climb onto subways and buses to go clean and sustain the homes of people who can afford to self-quarantine.	Some have already lost their jobs, with their employers departing to second homes at the beach or upstate. Those who are working climb onto subways and buses to go clean and sustain the homes of people who can afford to self-quarantine.
“You run a risk each time you step out of your home,” said Luz, 36, who like several people interviewed for this article asked to be identified only by her first name because of her immigration status.	“You run a risk each time you step out of your home,” said Luz, 36, who like several people interviewed for this article asked to be identified only by her first name because of her immigration status.
Like Luz, many domestic workers are undocumented and do not qualify for most forms of government assistance.	Like Luz, many domestic workers are undocumented and do not qualify for most forms of government assistance.
New York State health officials announced recently that undocumented immigrants would be able to access emergency Medicaid benefits to cover the cost of testing and treatment if they contracted the coronavirus.	New York State health officials announced recently that undocumented immigrants would be able to access emergency Medicaid benefits to cover the cost of testing and treatment if they contracted the coronavirus.
And federal officials have said that seeking medical care will not activate the so-called public charge rule, which penalizes green card applicants if they have used public benefits.	And federal officials have said that seeking medical care will not activate the so-called public charge rule, which penalizes green card applicants if they have used public benefits.
Yet advocates for immigrants say that is not enough. They have criticized the exclusion of undocumented immigrants from the federal government’s $2 trillion dollar stimulus package. Even couples where one spouse is documented and the other is not are ineligible.	Yet advocates for immigrants say that is not enough. They have criticized the exclusion of undocumented immigrants from the federal government’s $2 trillion dollar stimulus package. Even couples where one spouse is documented and the other is not are ineligible.
They argue that, regardless of their legal status, immigrants make up a large portion of the work force doing jobs that will keep the country afloat: farm work, stocking grocery stores, delivering food, taking care of older people and the disabled and cleaning homes and buildings.	They argue that, regardless of their legal status, immigrants make up a large portion of the work force doing jobs that will keep the country afloat: farm work, stocking grocery stores, delivering food, taking care of older people and the disabled and cleaning homes and buildings.
“Immigrants continue to be on the front lines of this response,” said Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition in New York.	“Immigrants continue to be on the front lines of this response,” said Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition in New York.
Since the coronavirus crisis erupted, Luz’s workload has actually grown. She now has to cook for the family, which is quarantined because the virus was detected at one child’s school, she said, and entertain the children, 8 and 12, who get restless when their schoolwork is done and they can’t go outside.	Since the coronavirus crisis erupted, Luz’s workload has actually grown. She now has to cook for the family, which is quarantined because the virus was detected at one child’s school, she said, and entertain the children, 8 and 12, who get restless when their schoolwork is done and they can’t go outside.
Luz takes them into the hallway outside the apartment to play catch so their parents can quietly work from home. “This is hard for them, too,” she said of her employers.	Luz takes them into the hallway outside the apartment to play catch so their parents can quietly work from home. “This is hard for them, too,” she said of her employers.
She also has to clean even more — wiping down surfaces, washing hands, taking care not to let the towels she uses to dry her hands get mixed in with the family’s laundry. Her 10-hour workdays are exhausting. Her weekly salary of $700 has not changed.	She also has to clean even more — wiping down surfaces, washing hands, taking care not to let the towels she uses to dry her hands get mixed in with the family’s laundry. Her 10-hour workdays are exhausting. Her weekly salary of $700 has not changed.
There are nearly half a million undocumented immigrants in New York City, according to a recent report by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. More than three-quarters were in the labor force last year, the report found, but they had the lowest median annual earnings of any group of working New Yorkers: just over $26,000.	There are nearly half a million undocumented immigrants in New York City, according to a recent report by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. More than three-quarters were in the labor force last year, the report found, but they had the lowest median annual earnings of any group of working New Yorkers: just over $26,000.
To receive one of the $1,200 cash payments included in the federal aid package, plus $500 per child, workers need to have filed federal income taxes using a Social Security number.	To receive one of the $1,200 cash payments included in the federal aid package, plus $500 per child, workers need to have filed federal income taxes using a Social Security number.
Undocumented workers do not qualify for Social Security numbers and instead use individual taxpayer identification numbers to file.	Undocumented workers do not qualify for Social Security numbers and instead use individual taxpayer identification numbers to file.
But many point out that they still file tax returns. One cleaner in Manhattan, Celsio, who is from Ecuador, said, “I came here to work, but also to pay taxes.”	But many point out that they still file tax returns. One cleaner in Manhattan, Celsio, who is from Ecuador, said, “I came here to work, but also to pay taxes.”
Celsio, 45, says he now cleans the homes of 10 customers a week, down from 50, and is nervous about making next month’s rent. He is not even sure he will be able to buy the basics of his trade: Cleaning products such as Lysol have vanished from many stores and are sometimes being sold at exorbitant prices.	Celsio, 45, says he now cleans the homes of 10 customers a week, down from 50, and is nervous about making next month’s rent. He is not even sure he will be able to buy the basics of his trade: Cleaning products such as Lysol have vanished from many stores and are sometimes being sold at exorbitant prices.
Domestic workers say they need to keep working not only for their own financial needs, but for the many older, sick and disabled New Yorkers who rely on them.	Domestic workers say they need to keep working not only for their own financial needs, but for the many older, sick and disabled New Yorkers who rely on them.
Bessie Dozis, 75, has a helper from Mexico named Rosa, who comes to her home in Astoria, Queens, seven days a week to bathe and dress her 75-year-old husband, Peter Dozis, who has Parkinson’s disease, and take him to medical appointments. “I asked if she needed to stay home — it was up to her,” Ms. Dozis said.	Bessie Dozis, 75, has a helper from Mexico named Rosa, who comes to her home in Astoria, Queens, seven days a week to bathe and dress her 75-year-old husband, Peter Dozis, who has Parkinson’s disease, and take him to medical appointments. “I asked if she needed to stay home — it was up to her,” Ms. Dozis said.
Rosa, 52, kept working. “When I arrive, he’s happy, because he knows I am going to help him get up out of his recliner,” she said. After tending to Mr. Dozis, she shares meals with the couple.	Rosa, 52, kept working. “When I arrive, he’s happy, because he knows I am going to help him get up out of his recliner,” she said. After tending to Mr. Dozis, she shares meals with the couple.
	Updated June 5, 2020
	The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
	Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
	Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
	States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
	Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
	Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
	If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
	Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
	The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
	If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
	If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
When she leaves home for work, her children tell her “Cuídate, Mami”: Be careful, Mom.	When she leaves home for work, her children tell her “Cuídate, Mami”: Be careful, Mom.
Being undocumented has added an extra layer of anxiety for workers already nervous about getting sick.	Being undocumented has added an extra layer of anxiety for workers already nervous about getting sick.