Here in the Bay Area, we’ve been sheltering in place for almost two months and it doesn’t look like it’s going to end soon. This week, six Bay Area counties announced they are extending shelter-in-place through May. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting impacts on the economy and people’s livelihoods are real and disturbing. KQED reporters have been answering your questions about the pandemic and what it will mean for the future of the Bay Area.
But plenty of people are struggling with more personal hardships during this time.
Reporter Asal Ehsanipour has been dating Larry Jerome for two years. During normal times, they’d see each other almost every day. But Larry has Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory illness where the body attacks itself. Larry’s disease is in remission, but only because he gets regular Remicade infusions — infusions that weaken his immune system.
Normally, Asal lives with roommates in the Sunset District of San Francisco. One of her roommates is a hospital nurse, and is pretty sure she’s been exposed to the coronavirus, which means Asal has probably been exposed, too. To keep Larry safe, she’s decided to self-isolate at her parents house in San Mateo. She doesn’t interact with her parents or Larry, hoping that by being extra vigilant she won’t have to worry about getting Larry sick when they see each other again.
