Coronavirus and the Middle Class

The Middle Class Dilemma

How Covid-19 has aff ected the working class

ABBY BOWMAN ADELAIDE CADY Reporters

The coronavirus struck the United States in the beginning of March, immediately closing down schools and businesses in every state. Panic started schools and businesses in every state. Panic started to spread as more people were hospitalized and dying. The initial concerns of this pandemic were of dying. The initial concerns of this pandemic were of people’s health and safety, and to insure that people were staying home to stop the spread of the illness. The state-issued stay at home bans required that The state-issued stay at home bans required that everyone would not leave their homes, but without steady income, some families in America can’t afford steady income, some families in America can’t afford food, rent, or any necessary utilities, as 78% of all U.S workers live paycheck to paycheck. This leaves many questions about what the families who are most affected by the disease are going to do, and how the country is going to deal with this big hit on the economy. Since President Trump declared a national emergency, 22 million Ameircans have filed for unemployment. “The cultural middle class–families making between $50,000 and $200,000 per year–see the hardest hit from the combination of liabilities forgiven or income guaranteed for others above and below them in the social strata,” said Seeking Alpha. Those with jobs that rely on consumers to purchase goods and services are left with no jobs at all since people are afraid to leave their houses and have no extra money to spend. However, a main focus of citizens is to feed their families, not to contribute to dying business. “Several economists expect that by the end of the month, more than 20 million people will have been thrown out of work, pushing the unemployment rate toward 15 percent,” as quoted from the NewYork Times. Many families who have lost their jobs share their story and The New York Times has shared some of them. “Ms. Douglass, a casting producer and a wedding videographer, said her work started to dry up a few weeks earlier. Now nearly all of her spring gigs have been canceled,” said the New York Times. Ms. Douglas and her husband, and millions of Americans alike, have filed for unemployment but have lost more than 75% of their average income. The government's attempt to assist those who have lost their jobs doesn’t help supply the income needs of most middle-class americans. “Middle-class Americans are more likely to have to dip into retirement savings to FEATURES

weather the storm, less likely to be helped by governweather the storm, less likely to be helped by government stimulus than those poorer or wealthier, and far ment stimulus than those poorer or wealthier, and far less likely to benefit from restructuring debt the way less likely to benefit from restructuring debt the way that owners of property or businesses are,” said The that owners of property or businesses are,” said The New York Times. New York Times. The middle class is going to have to use retirement The middle class is going to have to use retirement savings and other resources in order to be able to make savings and other resources in order to be able to make it through the pandemic and the effects it will have on it through the pandemic and the effects it will have on the economy, people’s employment and their incomes. the economy, people’s employment and their incomes. Upper class Americans have not been as severely Upper class Americans have not been as severely impacted by this epidemic as the lower and middle class. impacted by this epidemic as the lower and middle class. Lower class citizens are also getting enough assistance Lower class citizens are also getting enough assistance from the government to maintain themselves while from the government to maintain themselves while quarantines. quarantines. “Congress passes another stimulus bill guaranteeing the income of those making under $50,000 per year and forgiving business debt for the wealthy, quelling some of the discontent swirling, but not all,” said The New York Times. This leaves the middle class to struggle the most by the loss of jobs and the lack of assistance by the government and the aid they are distributing. Americans considered to be in the upper middle class also have a much different experience. The people who have flexible jobs and can work from home have luxuries during this time that most of their fellow citizens do not. “In New York, well-off city dwellers have abandoned cramped apartments for spacious second homes. In Texas, the rich are shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars to build safe rooms and bunkers,” commented the Chicago Tribune. During this time, it is much easier to see the divide of the rich and poor. Some of the US’s richer citizens can treat this time as a vacation and break from normal life, but the fact is that more than half of the people in America are struggling to keep their homes and to feed themselves. This does not mean good things for the future, especially if the situation worsens and average American families fall deeper into poverty. Action needs to be taken by the government in order to help those who are struggling and suffering in this time crucial for Americans’ safety. “The clock is ticking for the government to get a handle on the pandemic.” The middle class needs to be assured that the money and resources that they struggle to find will be made up for and that they won't be impacted by this in ten years,” said Seeking Alpha. eldiablonews.com 13

Facing the Virus:

First responders and health care workers battle against Covid-19

Image from PBS

LELAND HEINECKE JAMIE HITTI Reporters

The arrival of Covid-19 has challenged the global health care system and has put local healthcare to the test. At least 1.2 million people have been infected nationally; there are 20,157 cases in Colorado and 67 infections in la plata county, says the Sanjuan Basin Health Department. However, these numbers could be unrepresentative due to the lack of testing. It is obvious that health care systems and first responder centers are changing and becoming exceedingly overwhelmed. In order to prepare for a large influx of patients due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Mercy Regional Medical Center evolved their format for emergency preparedness. “Mercy has done many things to prepare for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Firstly, Mercy has been using an incident command center structure based on emergency preparedness models to evaluate and execute plans to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Mercy has also developed internal surge capacity plans to accommodate increased patient numbers if needed. This work has included communication and coordination with our local health department as well as surrounding health care systems and providers,” said Dr. Chuck Salka, an Infectious Disease Specialist at Mercy Regional Medical Center. Mercy has not been the only place to evolve their work environment according to the virus. The La Plata county Sheriff's office has had to make a few tweaks to their system in these times. “We (Criminal Interdiction Unit) have come up with alternate scheduling, working from home, or riding in marked patrol units to be in the public eye as the sheriff requests,” said Operations commander, Captain Todd Hitti. Not only are some employees working from home to prevent the spread of the virus but other employees practice new guidelines. “When you will get out of a vehicle and contact people, you will be required to wear your PPE(95-Mask, eyewear, and gloves),” said Captain Hitti. Although Durango’s location is geographically disconnected from areas where Coronavirus has hit hardest, its proximity to North Western New Mexico and the Navajo Nation makes our circumstances a little more precarious. In order to minimize the spread of the disease though the Four Corners Region, Mercy has been working with different states to address a comprehensive plan for protection. “We have had to coordinate with a different state as well as our regional partners in health care. We have had to plan for this potential impact on our local health care resources as our communities are connected. Our geographic isolation also makes it more important for us to be able to provide the needed health care for our local population,” Dr. Salka said. Due to our location, our town is somewhat isolated and doesn’t often have to change life dramatically. “A lot of kids haven’t been through adversity and this pandemic is as adverse as it gets,” said Captain Hitti. Supporting our health care workers and appreciating their work is a good way to keep things positive through these difficulties Health Care workers are amongst the most vulnerable to Covid-19 due to prolonged exposures to the virus. With the aim of protecting healthcare workers, the Community and Mercy have been working hard to provide Personal Protective Equipment. “Appropriate use of PPE is imperative for the protection of healthcare workers. I would also like to acknowledge all the support of local volunteers in providing creative solutions to having the adequate PPE. This is much appreciated. I also want to let people know that healthcare workers are not only concerned about their own safety, but the safety of their family members and other folks they come in contact with. No one wants to spread this infection,” said Dr. Salka. One of the most vital steps in protecting people from the virus and preventing the spread of Covid-19 is being able to track the virus. The task of tracking the virus is arduous, but can be made easier with relatively straightforward testing. Despite lacking enough testing, Dr. Salka remains optimistic. “Follow the guidelines as best as possible. [High School students] are the ones as well as young adults that will make this community safer,” said Captain Hitti about a positive way that we can be active about the spread of the virus. “Testing is improving and it is significantly better compared to a couple of months ago. I would like to see more information on the reliability of antibody testing and a standardized approach to its use. It is my opinion, that anyone who wants a PCR (nasal swab for genetic material of the virus) or antibody test (blood test to look for evidence of prior infection) should be able to get one, regardless of clinical criteria (if you have certain symptoms or you don't) and ability to pay” replied Salka. A big shout out is deserved to the health care workers and first responders that are putting their health at risk to protect ours. As they do our part, we need to do our part to social distance, and be cautious of washing our hands, and wearing masks when needed. “This craziness will go away soon enough but for now protect yourself, your friends and most of all loved ones,” Captain Hitti assured.

14 June 2020 FEATURES

Danger on the Navajo Nation

LAURA CLARK Reporter

Thousands have tested positive, many have died, while others remain highly susceptible to develop Covid-19 in this already marginalized community. The Navajo Nation has been hit hard with coronavirus, making daily life increasingly more difficult and unsafe. With a lack of internet access, homes without running water, and many pre-existing health conditions, the population of the Navajo Nation faces a rough journey to regain normalcy. While other states have begun to ease their restrictions, moving into the saferat-home status, members of the Navajo community must continue to peril with the impacts of the virus on their home. As the area with the third highest infection rate per capita following New York and New Jersey, the Navajo Nation further endures constraints to their daily lives. DHS junior, Mirah Tulley describes how there are only 13 grocery stores and 6 hospitals on the Navajo reservation which spans across Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. This presents hardships for those in need of medical assistance and the entire community's food distribution. Another challenge is a lack of internet access. Mirah adds that internet access is available in the major towns throughout the reservation, yet often the internet is slow. Many who require internet access for online schooling or work continue to combat this difficulty. “The Navajo Nation itself, the tribal government, has mandatory curfews for residents from 8pm to 5am at night as well as a curfew on the weekends from Friday evening to Monday morning,” says Dr. Stephen Bowers, who works at a Red Mesa clinic. These curfews are being highly enforced, as local police have issued 274 citations during the past 57 hour weekend curfew. Families must continue at home, which poses its own struggles due to the remoteness of their location. One of the issues that magnifies the spread of the virus lies in the closeness of the Navajo community itself. “These are often multigenerational households living under one roof or living in close proximity to one another,” comments Dr. Bowers. Within families, it is difficult to isolate sick members since there simply isn’t the space to do so. Thus far, the virus has tended to affect entire families at a time, resulting from widespread family intimacy. While the reservation obtains a higher per capita infection rate than most of the US, there are some commonalities in the population of those being affected. As in other states, the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions remain at high risk of infection. As people across the country fear for the safety and health of those closest to them, especially those at high risk, Mirah too fears the impact and severity of the virus

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in the Navajo community on her family members. “People are doing the best they can with whatever they have,” says Mirah. “There are long standing health disparities among the American Indians that sadly are becoming more evident than ever because it’s these health disparities that make the population we serve much more susceptible to the virus and the more severe illnesses that this virus can cause.” Dr. Bowers explains. To protect this community, information about the need for families to stay home and to send as few people out for necessities, as well as the recommendation to wear masks when in public has been distributed to keep this vulnerable community informed. As the US itself is facing the highest unemployment rate since the late 1940s, the Navajo Nation too has been profoundly impacted. The spread has made a high unemployment rate in these communities even worse. Those that have been commuting to jobs now face restrictions on travel that have made continuing employment impossible. These trying circumstances pose a great economic barrier for the families of the Navajo community. The inability to see family, low access to obtain essential needs, as well as those who are suffering from Covid-19 create a major burden for those of the Navajo Nation, yet there is hope for a vaccine and an end to this arduous time.

Image from Salt Lake Tribune