'When Stocking Grocery Shelves Turns Dangerous' diff viewer (4/5)

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When Stocking Grocery Shelves Turns Dangerous	When Stocking Grocery Shelves Turns Dangerous
2020-07-08 06:32:26 UTC	2020-07-16 11:18:30 UTC (8 days later)
They are a new class of emergency medical workers: the more than two million Americans reporting to work each day to sell food and other household staples to a country in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic.	They are a new class of emergency medical workers: the more than two million Americans reporting to work each day to sell food and other household staples to a country in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic.
As shoppers swarm stores, snapping up everything from milk to toilet paper, cashiers are there to ring them out. Stockroom employees replenish shelves as soon as shipments arrive. Their presence is a source of calm, signifying that, even as demand has surged, supply chains remain intact and the essentials that people need remain available.	As shoppers swarm stores, snapping up everything from milk to toilet paper, cashiers are there to ring them out. Stockroom employees replenish shelves as soon as shipments arrive. Their presence is a source of calm, signifying that, even as demand has surged, supply chains remain intact and the essentials that people need remain available.
“Workers in food stores are the ones keeping this nation from going into civil unrest,” said John T. Niccollai, president of Local 464A of the United Food & Commercial Workers, which represents 16,000 food workers in New York and New Jersey, including those at ShopRite and Key Food. “Because if there is no one working in the stores, we are in trouble.”	“Workers in food stores are the ones keeping this nation from going into civil unrest,” said John T. Niccollai, president of Local 464A of the United Food & Commercial Workers, which represents 16,000 food workers in New York and New Jersey, including those at ShopRite and Key Food. “Because if there is no one working in the stores, we are in trouble.”
But these same employees are tired and, because they constantly interact with customers, fearful of getting sick themselves. Workers at a number of retailers say they are being denied medical supplies like protective masks and gloves, because their employers insist the gear is unnecessary and could stoke fears among customers.	But these same employees are tired and, because they constantly interact with customers, fearful of getting sick themselves. Workers at a number of retailers say they are being denied medical supplies like protective masks and gloves, because their employers insist the gear is unnecessary and could stoke fears among customers.
Amy Askelson, a grocery worker in Kalamazoo, Mich., said she uses hand sanitizer after each interaction with a customer. Ms. Askelson, 36, feels vulnerable. She has multiple sclerosis, meaning her immune system is impaired. And she worries about passing the virus to her 72-year-old mother, who has been helping take care of her children.	Amy Askelson, a grocery worker in Kalamazoo, Mich., said she uses hand sanitizer after each interaction with a customer. Ms. Askelson, 36, feels vulnerable. She has multiple sclerosis, meaning her immune system is impaired. And she worries about passing the virus to her 72-year-old mother, who has been helping take care of her children.
“I’m going to work every day with the general public and coming over to look at my kids, and I know I’m giving her those germs,” said Ms. Askelson, who declined to name her employer because she wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. “We’re supposed to be standing six feet away, but I work in the self-checkout, where you have to be right next to the customer.”	“I’m going to work every day with the general public and coming over to look at my kids, and I know I’m giving her those germs,” said Ms. Askelson, who declined to name her employer because she wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. “We’re supposed to be standing six feet away, but I work in the self-checkout, where you have to be right next to the customer.”
Many grocery employees say they have been working 70 hours a week since the virus set off more than two straight weeks of panic buying across the country. The more people crowding into stores, the greater the chance that employees will be exposed to the virus.	Many grocery employees say they have been working 70 hours a week since the virus set off more than two straight weeks of panic buying across the country. The more people crowding into stores, the greater the chance that employees will be exposed to the virus.
These workers do not have the option of working from home. “I have to take two trains to work,” said Cornelia Rodriguez, 21, a cashier at Food Universe Marketplace in New York, who is mainly worried about her young child at home.	These workers do not have the option of working from home. “I have to take two trains to work,” said Cornelia Rodriguez, 21, a cashier at Food Universe Marketplace in New York, who is mainly worried about her young child at home.
At some Trader Joe’s stores, managers have told employees not to wear gloves, according to a group of workers trying to unionize at the chain.	At some Trader Joe’s stores, managers have told employees not to wear gloves, according to a group of workers trying to unionize at the chain.
“This isn’t the time for companies to get so dazzled by profits they forget to listen to the people who make them profitable,” the labor group wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. “Crew members are putting their lives at risk to serve our communities. We aren’t numbers in a spreadsheet.”	“This isn’t the time for companies to get so dazzled by profits they forget to listen to the people who make them profitable,” the labor group wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. “Crew members are putting their lives at risk to serve our communities. We aren’t numbers in a spreadsheet.”
At grocery stores, the surge in buying has shown no signs of slowing, and tensions have risen. Customers have also lashed out at grocery workers, angrily complaining about the bare shelves. At the WinCo store where he works in Southern California, Jonathan Wright, 28, said a customer had threatened to kill one of his co-workers if she did not let him into the store.	At grocery stores, the surge in buying has shown no signs of slowing, and tensions have risen. Customers have also lashed out at grocery workers, angrily complaining about the bare shelves. At the WinCo store where he works in Southern California, Jonathan Wright, 28, said a customer had threatened to kill one of his co-workers if she did not let him into the store.
“When they finally get in, and they see the shelves are empty at least with stuff that they want, that’s when they panic, and that’s when the questions start coming,” Mr. Wright said.	“When they finally get in, and they see the shelves are empty at least with stuff that they want, that’s when they panic, and that’s when the questions start coming,” Mr. Wright said.
Many workers say a big part of their job now is to project a sense of calm and order. At the Morton Williams Supermarket at Third Avenue and 63rd Street in Manhattan, the store manager, Yesenia Alvarado, is constantly sanitizing, cleaning, restocking and making sure employees are washing their hands. Cashiers are making an effort to greet shoppers with a smile.	Many workers say a big part of their job now is to project a sense of calm and order. At the Morton Williams Supermarket at Third Avenue and 63rd Street in Manhattan, the store manager, Yesenia Alvarado, is constantly sanitizing, cleaning, restocking and making sure employees are washing their hands. Cashiers are making an effort to greet shoppers with a smile.
“I’m not worried,” Ms. Alvarado said. “First of all, I’m a mom — of three boys — I know chaos. If I don’t panic, everything is good.”	“I’m not worried,” Ms. Alvarado said. “First of all, I’m a mom — of three boys — I know chaos. If I don’t panic, everything is good.”
State officials are starting to recognize the importance of grocery workers in the pandemic. Minnesota has designated the employees as essential workers, on a par with nurses, doctors and the police. That would allow them to travel freely in the event of road closures. In Vermont, grocery workers are now eligible for state-provided child care.	State officials are starting to recognize the importance of grocery workers in the pandemic. Minnesota has designated the employees as essential workers, on a par with nurses, doctors and the police. That would allow them to travel freely in the event of road closures. In Vermont, grocery workers are now eligible for state-provided child care.
Retailers and food distributors are also trying to expand the pool of available cashiers, produce pickers and warehouse workers in an effort to spell exhausted employees and create backup in case of widespread illnesses.	Retailers and food distributors are also trying to expand the pool of available cashiers, produce pickers and warehouse workers in an effort to spell exhausted employees and create backup in case of widespread illnesses.
Unions representing food store workers, such as the U.F.C.W., are recruiting workers laid off this week from department stores and clothing retailers that have shut down for the foreseeable future.	Unions representing food store workers, such as the U.F.C.W., are recruiting workers laid off this week from department stores and clothing retailers that have shut down for the foreseeable future.
Walmart, the nation’s largest food retailer, said late Thursday that it was looking to hire 150,000 new employees in its stores and distribution centers through the end of May, which would be a nearly 10 percent increase in its work force. The company is also providing hourly workers with cash bonuses of up to $300.	Walmart, the nation’s largest food retailer, said late Thursday that it was looking to hire 150,000 new employees in its stores and distribution centers through the end of May, which would be a nearly 10 percent increase in its work force. The company is also providing hourly workers with cash bonuses of up to $300.
The parent company of Dollar Tree and Family Dollar discount stores is looking to add 25,000 new workers.	The parent company of Dollar Tree and Family Dollar discount stores is looking to add 25,000 new workers.
United Natural Food, one of the nation’s largest food distributor to grocery stores, said on Thursday that it was providing most of its 21,000 workers a $2-an-hour “state of emergency bonus” on top of their wages and overtime through the end of the month. Its warehouse workers earn roughly $14 to $28 an hour, depending on the state they work in.	United Natural Food, one of the nation’s largest food distributor to grocery stores, said on Thursday that it was providing most of its 21,000 workers a $2-an-hour “state of emergency bonus” on top of their wages and overtime through the end of the month. Its warehouse workers earn roughly $14 to $28 an hour, depending on the state they work in.
Some retailers have reduced store hours in an attempt to slow down the shopping sprees and give workers time to restock shelves and prevent burnout. For the second time in a week, Walmart said it was opening stores later and closing earlier, a significant scaling back for a retailer that is relied on for 24-hour service and whose business is booming amid the crisis. On Thursday, Walmart’s shares were trading near a five-year high.	Some retailers have reduced store hours in an attempt to slow down the shopping sprees and give workers time to restock shelves and prevent burnout. For the second time in a week, Walmart said it was opening stores later and closing earlier, a significant scaling back for a retailer that is relied on for 24-hour service and whose business is booming amid the crisis. On Thursday, Walmart’s shares were trading near a five-year high.
For all the praise and raises being heaped on the workers, many food sellers have been reluctant to provide them with personal protective gear.	For all the praise and raises being heaped on the workers, many food sellers have been reluctant to provide them with personal protective gear.
~~Updated July 7, 2020~~
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
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.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
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.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
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.)
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.
Walmart, which employs 1.5 million people in the United States, is not providing masks and gloves in its stores because, a company spokesman said, it was following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which do not explicitly recommend them for workers outside the medical profession.	Walmart, which employs 1.5 million people in the United States, is not providing masks and gloves in its stores because, a company spokesman said, it was following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which do not explicitly recommend them for workers outside the medical profession.
A spokeswoman for Trader Joe’s, Kenya Friend-Daniel, said the chain’s employees “may choose to” wear gloves, though she noted that the C.D.C. guidelines did not call for them. At Stop & Shop, a grocery chain with hundreds of stores in the Northeast, employees are now being provided with gloves, but not masks.	A spokeswoman for Trader Joe’s, Kenya Friend-Daniel, said the chain’s employees “may choose to” wear gloves, though she noted that the C.D.C. guidelines did not call for them. At Stop & Shop, a grocery chain with hundreds of stores in the Northeast, employees are now being provided with gloves, but not masks.
Jennifer Brogan, a spokeswoman for Stop & Shop, said the company’s rationale is twofold: There is a more critical need for masks in hospitals and health care facilities, and they send the wrong message to already jittery shoppers that the worker is ill.	Jennifer Brogan, a spokeswoman for Stop & Shop, said the company’s rationale is twofold: There is a more critical need for masks in hospitals and health care facilities, and they send the wrong message to already jittery shoppers that the worker is ill.
The chain is also “strongly advising” workers not to wear their own masks, she said. The union representative, Mr. Niccollai, called masks a “double-edged sword.” They could heighten fears, he said, which would make it more challenging for the workers to deal with customers.	The chain is also “strongly advising” workers not to wear their own masks, she said. The union representative, Mr. Niccollai, called masks a “double-edged sword.” They could heighten fears, he said, which would make it more challenging for the workers to deal with customers.