Photos by Jake Eckert, Samantha Fenimore and Bobbie Koreyva
While the majority of us—students and professors alike—are safe to continue our jobs remotely, that is not the case for everyone. The one reason we’re allowed to leave our quarantined state is to visit a life-sustaining business, like a grocery store. People have to eat, right? In the worst-case scenario, we need to visit a hospital and be taken care of if we come down with symptoms.
With the help of technology, I found out what it’s like to feed a population, prohibit people from their midnight snacks, and fight the virus head-on all while practicing social distancing.
Jake Eckert doubles as a third-year computer science major at West Chester University and a worker at Wegmans in Garnet Valley. His usual work schedule consists of weekend hours, but he’s been picking up a few extra shifts here and there to help the managers with short-staffed days—and being paid $2 extra per hour doesn’t hurt. “I try to be a team player,” says Eckert.
“I’m a little afraid because people don’t seem to be scared anymore,” says Eckert. Eckert describes the double-doored entrances to the store as being clogged up with customers, ignoring the six feet of space required when practicing social distancing. “They’re almost bored of being scared [and] aren’t acting as cautious [as they should].”
However, employees are still taking strict precautions. As a cashier, Eckert wears gloves, which was not part of procedures before. Those in line to check out are required to wait behind a strip of yellow tape to allow one customer at a time to pay for their items. Deep sanitation of the conveyor belt and credit card keypad happens in between each customer. In terms of their merchandise, Wegmans does not put out prepared food anymore, since the fresh food is exposed to the open air.
Eckert describes picking up stray gloves in the parking lot. “It freaks me out because they’re gloves, they’re not clean,” says Eckert. “I don’t want to get sick, and I never know who I’m going to come in contact with.”
Although, he remains positive. “I do feel important,” says Eckert. If we didn’t have workers like Eckert, how would we get food?
Sam Fenimore is a third-year marketing student at WCU by day and manager at Wawa in Malvern by night. “Working during it all almost makes things feel more normal,” says Fenimore, as she describes a minimal shift in her schedule.
When it comes to procedures and responsibilities, those are far from normal when she does arrive at work. Especially since managers are experiencing lots of associate callouts, she has even more on her plate.
Gloves aren’t new for workers in the deli, but they are for cashiers. All employees are required to wear gloves at all times. Coffee used to be a serve-your-own type of deal. Now, a Wawa employee has to pour you a cup in order to reduce the number of hands touching the coffee stations. Only 25 people can be in the store at once. So, if a manager suspects more than 25 customers in the store, it is their responsibility to count and send out a few people outside if necessary.
While Wawa is usually open 24/7, new procedures close the store between 2 AM to 3 AM for a deep clean. “We wipe down every touch surface in the store: every countertop, every handle, which is way more than you think,” Fenimore laughs.
There is a lot to worry about when she clocks in, but she is thankful that she is able to make rent—and with a few dollars to spare with the $3 pay raise Wawa is doling out.
“A few of my friends have lost their jobs. I’m lucky I haven’t experienced that side, but I worry about what would happen if I did catch it while at work,” says Fenimore. “Where would I go? [My roommate] has asthma. My parents are older. I wouldn’t want to infect anyone else.”
When talking about the heroes of the pandemic, it’s impossible to not mention healthcare workers. It hits close to home for me. While I’m sitting in my pajamas and typing away at my laptop in my apartment, my mother is on the front lines.
Bobbie Ann Koreyva works as a Registered Nurse at Jefferson Frankford Hospital and is a first-year student at Aspen University working towards a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing.
Koreyva describes the initial panic of COVID-19 in the healthcare industry as impacting hospitals locally “Lots of nurses are talking about leaving the profession,” says Koreyva.
For those that are on the front lines, they are covered head-to-toe: a gown over their scrubs, slipcovers, overshoes, safety goggles, hairnets, gloves and, of course, an N95 mask—also used when treating patients with tuberculosis. “We don’t wear surgical masks,” says Koreyva. “Those don’t really protect you when coming in contact with a presumptive positive patient. I would tell [more people] that, but I don’t want to scare them.”
Positive patients are placed in a negative pressure room to prevent the air in the room from leaving. However, these are limited. Hospitals around the world are worried about rooms filling up and being unable to support the number of sick patients that come in.
Every time nurses and doctors leave the room of a presumptive positive patient, they remove all personal protective equipment and redress themselves in order to prevent a virus tagging along on outerwear between patient rooms. For this reason, hospitals are going through equipment quickly.
“When I get home, I take off all my clothes as soon as I walk through the door and immediately put them into the wash,” says Koreyva. “You take all the precautions and you hope it’s all working, but you really never know.” Although the household is full of healthy adults, it is better safe than sorry.
“When you’re taking care of a positive patient, you finally realize that this is real,” her voice cracks and she begins getting emotional. “You don’t want to go into that room, but you know you have to.”
Thank any healthcare workers you know—nurses and custodians alike. Be extra polite to the cashier at Wawa and the worker retrieving carts at the grocery store.
These people are working hard and putting themselves at risk during this stressful time in order for us to stay home. So, do your part too. Every time you leave your house, you are putting them at risk. Do not visit your friends. Eat at home until you run out of food. Above all, wash your hands.
Kirsten Magas is a fourth-year student majoring in English with minors in creative writing and journalism.