Corona Heroes

Many people are helping during this Coronavirus outbreak. People are risking their lives to help others. First responders, doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, grocery stores and restaurant staff are still out doing their jobs so we stay safe, clean, and have food.

First responders are one of the most important groups of people out there helping during this outbreak. Many first responders are running out of supplies, cleaning everything after every call, and risking their lives dealing with patients that could potentially be infected with Covid-19. Vincent Variale, a first responder in New York City, says, "We lost 1200 members in one year. We only have 4000 EMT's. That's more than 25%." Many first responders quit their jobs to stay protected from Covid-19, but then there are less first responders to help care for those that could potentially be infected. The normal call volume (911 calls) in New York City is about 4000 a day, but since the Covid-19 outbreak, there are more than 7000 calls a day. This is why it is important to remember what the first responders do for us on a daily basis and why it is important to have our first responders.

Sanitation workers are another important part of the Coronavirus outbreak. Without them we would have overflowing garbage cans and dirty buildings, such as hospitals, vet clinics, and grocery stores. Sanitation workers play a big role in keeping the city/town clean. Imagine not having our sanitation worker be essential, all sanitation workers would be let off and not getting paid, and things wouldn't stay clean. Sanitation workers aren't given as much credit as they should during these hard times. They keep things clean and sanitary to help stop the spread of Covid-19.  

Another really important group of people during this outbreak are the people working at grocery stores and restaurants doing curbside pickup. Even though many restaurants are currently closed, they still have people that are inside cooking and cleaning to continue to provide people food. "Downloads for the grocery delivery app, Instacart, increased 215% between February 14 and March 15." Grocery workers and restaurant workers aren't just working in the building; they are also driving to deliver food to people's houses that may be at risk for Covid-19 to go out and get the food themselves. They play an important part in this pandemic, making sure to keep the shelves stocked so people have access to food.

Through all the struggles of this worldwide pandemic the first responders, sanitation workers, restaurant and grocery store workers, and many more are still out there doing their jobs to help keep us safe and clean, and to make sure we have food. Every day in New York City at 7pm, everyone opens their windows and claps to thank the essential workers. It is important to thank those who risk their lives fighting for ours.