From Boston Globe Magazine
I am disabled and live in government-subsidized housing. I’m terrified.
Most of the people I live with are elderly, sick, or both. Many of us use oxygen tanks and get around in highly specialized wheelchairs. I have a severely compromised immune system and require the assistance of a caretaker, so I have feared COVID-19 since January. I already have trouble breathing and get sick easily. I know that our whole building could be decimated if the virus came here, me included. For this reason, I’ve been isolating myself since Washington Governor Jay Inslee declared the first state of emergency, in his state, at the end of February. I’ve only gone out for essential health appointments.
"Now, I can only sit and wait for the outbreak I can feel coming."
But, in the first week of March, we were notified that it was time for the annual inspection of every apartment in our sprawling building [of more than 300 units]. Before those happen, the management company does its own inspections, which take a week, followed by another week of more strangers coming to fix things. A great inconvenience at any time, but this year, it’s life-threatening.
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