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How an Edible Arrangements Delivery Worker Spends Her Sundays How an Edible Arrangements Delivery Worker Spends Her Sundays
(2 days later)
Sandy Matthews makes deliveries for Edible Arrangements, the company known for its cut fruit bouquets, mylar balloons and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Since the coronavirus outbreak, she has gone from working part time to full time. “I used to drop off five or six arrangements a day, mostly for birthdays or graduations; now it’s 20-plus,” she said. “A lot are being sent by worried, out-of-state parents who are afraid their adult children aren’t getting vitamins or won’t have food,” she continued. “Others are for mourners who have lost people to the virus.” Ms. Matthews, 54, who was a waitress for more than two decades, lives by herself in a one-bedroom apartment in University Heights, in the Bronx.Sandy Matthews makes deliveries for Edible Arrangements, the company known for its cut fruit bouquets, mylar balloons and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Since the coronavirus outbreak, she has gone from working part time to full time. “I used to drop off five or six arrangements a day, mostly for birthdays or graduations; now it’s 20-plus,” she said. “A lot are being sent by worried, out-of-state parents who are afraid their adult children aren’t getting vitamins or won’t have food,” she continued. “Others are for mourners who have lost people to the virus.” Ms. Matthews, 54, who was a waitress for more than two decades, lives by herself in a one-bedroom apartment in University Heights, in the Bronx.
SOME SUGAR WITH THE NEWS I bounce up at 8 a.m. My body has its own alarm. I brew Starbucks, and add two spoons of raw sugar and two spoons of Coffee-Mate. I watch Cuomo’s hour update and then I need to turn to something else like “Cheaters.” It’s very hard to watch the news. It makes me anxious and hurts my heart.SOME SUGAR WITH THE NEWS I bounce up at 8 a.m. My body has its own alarm. I brew Starbucks, and add two spoons of raw sugar and two spoons of Coffee-Mate. I watch Cuomo’s hour update and then I need to turn to something else like “Cheaters.” It’s very hard to watch the news. It makes me anxious and hurts my heart.
FAST COMMUTE Around 12:30 I walk to my car and drive to the store, which is on 99th and Third Avenue, in Manhattan. The drive only takes 15 minutes now instead of 45 because there’s no traffic.FAST COMMUTE Around 12:30 I walk to my car and drive to the store, which is on 99th and Third Avenue, in Manhattan. The drive only takes 15 minutes now instead of 45 because there’s no traffic.
ARRANGE THE ARRANGEMENTS Once I’m at the store I go inside and get the arrangements. Sometimes someone is there to help me load them in the car, or I’ll do it myself. West Side drop offs go on one side; East Side on the other. The Bronx go in last because I do Manhattan first, unless there’s a timing issue.ARRANGE THE ARRANGEMENTS Once I’m at the store I go inside and get the arrangements. Sometimes someone is there to help me load them in the car, or I’ll do it myself. West Side drop offs go on one side; East Side on the other. The Bronx go in last because I do Manhattan first, unless there’s a timing issue.
SO MUCH FOR SURPRISES By 1:30-ish I’m at my first stop. Manhattan is easier because most buildings have doormen who come out and take the packages from me. Then I’m on to the next. The others I call ahead now. They come down and meet me. Almost everyone is wearing a mask. Before the pandemic I didn’t really call anyone, because these are supposed to be surprises, but it’s been harder now.SO MUCH FOR SURPRISES By 1:30-ish I’m at my first stop. Manhattan is easier because most buildings have doormen who come out and take the packages from me. Then I’m on to the next. The others I call ahead now. They come down and meet me. Almost everyone is wearing a mask. Before the pandemic I didn’t really call anyone, because these are supposed to be surprises, but it’s been harder now.
SMILES AND TIPS People are supposed to be home, but a lot of people aren’t. Now that they know I’m coming, they have money in their hand and tip me, which they never did before. And everyone is over-the-top happy that I’m coming out and working. They thank me and tell me to stay safe and be well, which makes me feel appreciated and cared for. I make about $20 in tips, which helps with gas and lunch.SMILES AND TIPS People are supposed to be home, but a lot of people aren’t. Now that they know I’m coming, they have money in their hand and tip me, which they never did before. And everyone is over-the-top happy that I’m coming out and working. They thank me and tell me to stay safe and be well, which makes me feel appreciated and cared for. I make about $20 in tips, which helps with gas and lunch.
THE WORKOUT The people who live in walk-ups are the hardest. Four flights are not easy. The arrangement is heavy, and I’m a little heavy, but it’s good exercise. I don’t touch anything and use a napkin to buzz them, open the door, and ring their bell. I’ve got a bandanna and a mask over my mouth.THE WORKOUT The people who live in walk-ups are the hardest. Four flights are not easy. The arrangement is heavy, and I’m a little heavy, but it’s good exercise. I don’t touch anything and use a napkin to buzz them, open the door, and ring their bell. I’ve got a bandanna and a mask over my mouth.
THE HANDOFF I’ve learned to place the package on the floor first, rather than hand the basket over because people want to open it and read the card and find out who sent it to them. I just want them to sign the sheet and let me go. Now I ask them to sign first. Most don’t want to touch my pen, which I get. That’s OK. It means I don’t have to sanitize it when I get back in the car.THE HANDOFF I’ve learned to place the package on the floor first, rather than hand the basket over because people want to open it and read the card and find out who sent it to them. I just want them to sign the sheet and let me go. Now I ask them to sign first. Most don’t want to touch my pen, which I get. That’s OK. It means I don’t have to sanitize it when I get back in the car.
FAST FOOD Once I finish with Manhattan stops I go for lunch at 3:30 or 4 and eat in the car for the next 15 minutes because you can’t sit inside anymore. I usually do McDonald’s, burger and fries. Sometimes it’s Chipotle. I try not to focus on being out during this scary time, but I’m also happy to be working.FAST FOOD Once I finish with Manhattan stops I go for lunch at 3:30 or 4 and eat in the car for the next 15 minutes because you can’t sit inside anymore. I usually do McDonald’s, burger and fries. Sometimes it’s Chipotle. I try not to focus on being out during this scary time, but I’m also happy to be working.
Updated June 30, 2020
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.
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.
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.
PERKS OF THE JOB I’ve been trying to figure out how to rebuild my career, which has been difficult. I like making deliveries because I’m my own boss. It gives me freedom and a chance to interact with people, which I did more of before the virus. I’m a people person. The arrangements are gorgeous, and I like carrying them because people are always looking at you. And in a small way I feel I’m bringing happiness to people during a difficult time.PERKS OF THE JOB I’ve been trying to figure out how to rebuild my career, which has been difficult. I like making deliveries because I’m my own boss. It gives me freedom and a chance to interact with people, which I did more of before the virus. I’m a people person. The arrangements are gorgeous, and I like carrying them because people are always looking at you. And in a small way I feel I’m bringing happiness to people during a difficult time.
LOBBY HERO At 4:15 I head to the Bronx, which can be difficult because I don’t know the Bronx well. I’m crisscrossing and going in circles. The drop-offs are hard here because most buildings are in the projects or high-rises without doormen. I’m always hopeful these people will meet me in the lobby because I don’t like to go into the buildings.LOBBY HERO At 4:15 I head to the Bronx, which can be difficult because I don’t know the Bronx well. I’m crisscrossing and going in circles. The drop-offs are hard here because most buildings are in the projects or high-rises without doormen. I’m always hopeful these people will meet me in the lobby because I don’t like to go into the buildings.
DRIVE AND PRAY I finish around 6 or 7 and head home and look for parking. That can take 45-minutes to two hours. Since everyone is home, no one is moving their cars. I drive and pray as I go in a four- or five-block circle. Though I’m in the car a lot I don’t mind because I love listening to music; jazz, rap, R&B, classic rock.DRIVE AND PRAY I finish around 6 or 7 and head home and look for parking. That can take 45-minutes to two hours. Since everyone is home, no one is moving their cars. I drive and pray as I go in a four- or five-block circle. Though I’m in the car a lot I don’t mind because I love listening to music; jazz, rap, R&B, classic rock.
HOME DISINFECTION By 7:30-8 I’m back upstairs. Normally I’d head to the kitchen for water or start dinner, but now I take everything off which goes into a plastic bag or a portable hamper and get in the shower. I want to be safe and not spread anything around the house.HOME DISINFECTION By 7:30-8 I’m back upstairs. Normally I’d head to the kitchen for water or start dinner, but now I take everything off which goes into a plastic bag or a portable hamper and get in the shower. I want to be safe and not spread anything around the house.
JUDGE JUDY FOR THE WIN Around 9:30 I eat dinner. I’m boring and eat the same thing over and over; salmon and sautéed spinach and a baked potato, or chicken and salad. The TV is in the bedroom, so I’ll have dinner in there and watch “Judge Judy,” who I like because she gets right to the point, and “Family Feud.” Around 11:30 I’ll fall asleep with the TV on and wake up around 2 or 3 a.m. and turn it off. Then I go back to sleep.JUDGE JUDY FOR THE WIN Around 9:30 I eat dinner. I’m boring and eat the same thing over and over; salmon and sautéed spinach and a baked potato, or chicken and salad. The TV is in the bedroom, so I’ll have dinner in there and watch “Judge Judy,” who I like because she gets right to the point, and “Family Feud.” Around 11:30 I’ll fall asleep with the TV on and wake up around 2 or 3 a.m. and turn it off. Then I go back to sleep.