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| For India’s Laborers, Coronavirus Lockdown Is an Order to Starve | For India’s Laborers, Coronavirus Lockdown Is an Order to Starve |
| (2 months later) | |
| Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a lockdown of India’s 1.3 billion citizens to fight the spread of coronavirus, urging people to distance themselves socially and work from home. | Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a lockdown of India’s 1.3 billion citizens to fight the spread of coronavirus, urging people to distance themselves socially and work from home. |
| But social distancing means hunger for many in India, with a work force heavily dependent on manual labor. It would be an unheard-of luxury for the ragpicker or street vendor who lives day to day. | But social distancing means hunger for many in India, with a work force heavily dependent on manual labor. It would be an unheard-of luxury for the ragpicker or street vendor who lives day to day. |
| About 80 percent of India’s 470 million workers are in the informal sector, lacking contracts and unprotected by labor laws. Many are manual laborers in the fields, factories and streets of India. | About 80 percent of India’s 470 million workers are in the informal sector, lacking contracts and unprotected by labor laws. Many are manual laborers in the fields, factories and streets of India. |
| We asked people how they were making ends meet as the economy grinds to a halt with the coronavirus pandemic. India reported 1,024 cases and 27 dead as of Sunday. Here are some of their stories: | We asked people how they were making ends meet as the economy grinds to a halt with the coronavirus pandemic. India reported 1,024 cases and 27 dead as of Sunday. Here are some of their stories: |
| Ashu, 12 | ragpicker | Ashu, 12 | ragpicker |
| Ashu and his two brothers spend their days at one of Delhi’s biggest dumps. They are ragpickers — scavengers who hunt for scrap metal using a giant, rusted sieve to help them sort through the stinking refuse. | Ashu and his two brothers spend their days at one of Delhi’s biggest dumps. They are ragpickers — scavengers who hunt for scrap metal using a giant, rusted sieve to help them sort through the stinking refuse. |
| If Ashu works really hard, he can earn 53 cents a day. He and his brothers have been unable to go to the dump regularly since the lockdown was announced because if they are caught by the police, they will be beaten. | If Ashu works really hard, he can earn 53 cents a day. He and his brothers have been unable to go to the dump regularly since the lockdown was announced because if they are caught by the police, they will be beaten. |
| “I miss my friends,” he said, adding that he and four buddies would meet at the dumpsite every morning, work for a few hours and then play with whatever treasures they found — broken toy cars, tattered dolls and ripped clothing. | “I miss my friends,” he said, adding that he and four buddies would meet at the dumpsite every morning, work for a few hours and then play with whatever treasures they found — broken toy cars, tattered dolls and ripped clothing. |
| “I hear there is a virus from China going around,” Ashu said. “But I’m more afraid of the police and not being able to eat.” | “I hear there is a virus from China going around,” Ashu said. “But I’m more afraid of the police and not being able to eat.” |
| “When the money dries up, we will have to find a way to come back here again,” he said. | “When the money dries up, we will have to find a way to come back here again,” he said. |
| Ramchandran Ravidas, 42 | bicycle rickshaw driver | Ramchandran Ravidas, 42 | bicycle rickshaw driver |
| On a Wednesday afternoon, normally peak rush hour in Delhi, Ramchandran Ravidas was bicycling around in big, lazy circles in the middle of a main thoroughfare, boredom, hunger and his empty pockets on his mind. | On a Wednesday afternoon, normally peak rush hour in Delhi, Ramchandran Ravidas was bicycling around in big, lazy circles in the middle of a main thoroughfare, boredom, hunger and his empty pockets on his mind. |
| On a good day, if he has “a lot of energy” he can make up to 450 rupees, or $6, he said. He lives out of the garage he rents his bicycle rickshaw from and worries that he will be evicted soon; he has had no customers since the lockdown. | On a good day, if he has “a lot of energy” he can make up to 450 rupees, or $6, he said. He lives out of the garage he rents his bicycle rickshaw from and worries that he will be evicted soon; he has had no customers since the lockdown. |
| “If you don’t even have a house, how can you work from home?” Mr. Ravidas said, worry lines furrowing his face. “My home is my work. Today was the first time in my life I had to accept food from a charity.” | “If you don’t even have a house, how can you work from home?” Mr. Ravidas said, worry lines furrowing his face. “My home is my work. Today was the first time in my life I had to accept food from a charity.” |
| He said, for him, it was a race between whether the virus or hunger got to him first. | He said, for him, it was a race between whether the virus or hunger got to him first. |
| “I’m not worried about corona; if corona comes to get me, at least this life of misery will be over,” Mr. Ravidas said, breaking into a grin as he roared with laughter. | “I’m not worried about corona; if corona comes to get me, at least this life of misery will be over,” Mr. Ravidas said, breaking into a grin as he roared with laughter. |
| Baudghiri, 60 | sadhu (religious ascetic) | Baudghiri, 60 | sadhu (religious ascetic) |
| Walking barefoot along Delhi’s deserted streets, his saffron-colored clothing stained and tattered, Baudghiri said he had not eaten in two days. A sadhu, or religious ascetic, he makes about $1.50 every day by offering prayers to people on the street. | Walking barefoot along Delhi’s deserted streets, his saffron-colored clothing stained and tattered, Baudghiri said he had not eaten in two days. A sadhu, or religious ascetic, he makes about $1.50 every day by offering prayers to people on the street. |
| Mr. Baudghiri, who goes by just one name, had never gone hungry a day in his life, he said, and had always found a meal in Hindu temples or gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship. But they have closed since the lockdown started last week. | Mr. Baudghiri, who goes by just one name, had never gone hungry a day in his life, he said, and had always found a meal in Hindu temples or gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship. But they have closed since the lockdown started last week. |
| While he agreed with the prime minister’s decision to try to prevent the virus’s spread by limiting people’s movement, he was frustrated with the government’s lack of planning for the destitute like him. | While he agreed with the prime minister’s decision to try to prevent the virus’s spread by limiting people’s movement, he was frustrated with the government’s lack of planning for the destitute like him. |
| “I do not have a house to practice social distancing in,” he said. “I go from place to place, temple to temple, to eat. But the entire city is closed.” | “I do not have a house to practice social distancing in,” he said. “I go from place to place, temple to temple, to eat. But the entire city is closed.” |
| In all his decades of walking across India, Mr. Baudghiri said he had never seen India so paralyzed. | In all his decades of walking across India, Mr. Baudghiri said he had never seen India so paralyzed. |
| “In every crisis, the gurdwaras, the temples were all open,” he said. “We were still able to feed ourselves and find shelter. I’ve never seen this panic in my entire life.” | “In every crisis, the gurdwaras, the temples were all open,” he said. “We were still able to feed ourselves and find shelter. I’ve never seen this panic in my entire life.” |
| Raj Kumari | street sweeper | Raj Kumari | street sweeper |
| Sweeping leaves and trash off a deserted street and dumping them into her rusted wheelbarrow, Raj Kumari said the silence of the normal cacophony of Delhi was glorious, but eerie. | Sweeping leaves and trash off a deserted street and dumping them into her rusted wheelbarrow, Raj Kumari said the silence of the normal cacophony of Delhi was glorious, but eerie. |
| She used to sweep Delhi’s streets with her husband, but he died eight years ago. She is now the sole breadwinner for her six children, after her eldest son was laid off from his tech job this past week because of the lockdown. | She used to sweep Delhi’s streets with her husband, but he died eight years ago. She is now the sole breadwinner for her six children, after her eldest son was laid off from his tech job this past week because of the lockdown. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | |
| 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. | |
| 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.) | |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | |
| 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. | |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | |
| “It’s just me and the sewer cleaners out here now,” she said. | “It’s just me and the sewer cleaners out here now,” she said. |
| The lockdown has affected public transportation, and she now walks two hours just to get to work. | The lockdown has affected public transportation, and she now walks two hours just to get to work. |
| “This is what I have to do for money, for life,” she said. “Even if the streets are empty, I have to come out. I don’t have the pleasure of staying at home, this is my duty.” | “This is what I have to do for money, for life,” she said. “Even if the streets are empty, I have to come out. I don’t have the pleasure of staying at home, this is my duty.” |
| The government has never provided Ms. Kumari, who does not know her exact age, with gloves or masks for her job. But one of her daughters forbade her from working without protective gear during the pandemic and gave her a mask that her school had donated to students to protect against Delhi’s infamous pollution. | The government has never provided Ms. Kumari, who does not know her exact age, with gloves or masks for her job. But one of her daughters forbade her from working without protective gear during the pandemic and gave her a mask that her school had donated to students to protect against Delhi’s infamous pollution. |
| “I’m not afraid of corona,” Ms. Kumari said. “Why would anyone fear death when it is time for God to take you?” | “I’m not afraid of corona,” Ms. Kumari said. “Why would anyone fear death when it is time for God to take you?” |
| Mohan Singh, 18 | fruit seller | Mohan Singh, 18 | fruit seller |
| Every morning, Mohan Singh and his father pile their carts with fruit and wheel their loads to work, on a busy neighborhood street corner. Although their jobs are deemed necessary and permissible during the lockdown, they say customers are too afraid to come to their carts. By midmorning, they had served one customer between them. | Every morning, Mohan Singh and his father pile their carts with fruit and wheel their loads to work, on a busy neighborhood street corner. Although their jobs are deemed necessary and permissible during the lockdown, they say customers are too afraid to come to their carts. By midmorning, they had served one customer between them. |
| “If we are afraid of this disease, we will die in our homes,” Mr. Singh said, adding that he and his father provide for their entire family of six. | “If we are afraid of this disease, we will die in our homes,” Mr. Singh said, adding that he and his father provide for their entire family of six. |
| Mr. Singh said he was worried that the government was going to help big businesses and that small businesses like his would be overlooked. Although the government announced a $22 billion relief package to support the millions left unemployed because of the crisis, some say people in the informal work force, like Mr. Singh, will have trouble getting help. | Mr. Singh said he was worried that the government was going to help big businesses and that small businesses like his would be overlooked. Although the government announced a $22 billion relief package to support the millions left unemployed because of the crisis, some say people in the informal work force, like Mr. Singh, will have trouble getting help. |
| “They need to help people like us,” he said. “There are more people working on the streets than India’s biggest companies. If we close, no one can eat.” | “They need to help people like us,” he said. “There are more people working on the streets than India’s biggest companies. If we close, no one can eat.” |
| Arjun Chauhan, 18 | water deliverer | Arjun Chauhan, 18 | water deliverer |
| Many Indian homes lack running water or water safe enough to drink, making Arjun Chauhan’s job a necessity during the lockdown. He zipped across Delhi’s streets on his moped bike, stacked high with leaking water bottles. | Many Indian homes lack running water or water safe enough to drink, making Arjun Chauhan’s job a necessity during the lockdown. He zipped across Delhi’s streets on his moped bike, stacked high with leaking water bottles. |
| “If we stay at home, my family goes hungry and India goes thirsty,” Mr. Chauhan said, adding that his parents and five siblings rely on his wages. | “If we stay at home, my family goes hungry and India goes thirsty,” Mr. Chauhan said, adding that his parents and five siblings rely on his wages. |
| Since the lockdown, Mr. Chauhan has seen his daily earnings of about $8 cut in half. He said he had been unable to reach all his customers because the police had prevented him from deliveries and even beat him for being on the streets although under the lockdown rules, deliveries of necessary items like medicine and water are supposed to be allowed. | Since the lockdown, Mr. Chauhan has seen his daily earnings of about $8 cut in half. He said he had been unable to reach all his customers because the police had prevented him from deliveries and even beat him for being on the streets although under the lockdown rules, deliveries of necessary items like medicine and water are supposed to be allowed. |