Social Work in a Time of Pandemic

by Laura A. Quiñones

     It’s an interesting time to be a social work student - the coronavirus is all I hear lately. I guess it was only a matter of time until it made its way to New Jersey. I've been listening to the news, and seeing peers, professors, professionals, and citizens slowly realize that this isn’t just the flu, and that we are facing a global pandemic. I’m grateful agencies, organizations, universities, and some corporations are taking preventative measures, like providing helpful information on the symptoms, reminding everyone to wash their hands, ensuring people don’t go to work sick, and so forth.

     Some places are shutting down completely to contain the possibility of spreading the virus, such as schools and universities like Rutgers, Princeton, and Stockton, which are going virtual and having classes on Zoom. Sports leagues like the NBA and MLB have suspended their seasons. Broadway and even Disneyland are closing temporarily. I’m grateful to be at Stockton University, which is switching to online classes for two weeks, I’m grateful to intern at the Covenant House, which provides preventative material, and I’m grateful to work as a part-time manager at Ulta Cosmetics, which provides no sick time for part-time employees except in California, New Jersey, and a couple other states. Everywhere I go, I hear professionals, professors, supervisors, corporations, and media outlets say to contact primary care physicians if you feel ill or suspect you may have the coronavirus. But what about the people who can’t afford healthcare or time off?

     As a future social worker, it is my duty to provide factual, evidence-based information. As an advocate, it is my duty to comment on how repulsive it is to have a consumer-driven economy in the midst of a pandemic that provides no paid-time off. As an advocate, it is horrifying to me that millions of Americans, including myself, across the nation are without healthcare. What we will see is an increase in people who are sick and will spread the virus. Personally, if I were to catch the virus, I would self-quarantine, because I have paid time off, thanks to Governor Phil Murphy. Millions of other Americans across the country don’t have that luxury.

     What about parents who can’t afford to take off even though their children are mandated to stay home? What about the children who look to school for a hot meal? What about the university students who look to school for housing? What about the people who can’t afford to get tested for the coronavirus? I know that I will be calling my legislators to advocate for those who may be in crisis - will you? The United States is in crisis, and we as social workers must advocate that universal healthcare is a human right. Access to healthcare is crucial to reducing outbreaks. Instead of offering $1.5 trillion to bail out Wall Street again, why not use that money to implement universal healthcare and postpone bill payments to reduce consumer burden? The coronavirus is revealing the reality that our fellow Americans are struggling and in crisis.

Laura A. Quiñones is a Puerto Rican (Boricua) BSW student at Stockton University, graduating in May 2020. Recently, she was accepted into the Stockton MSW program. She says: "I am delighted to partake in politics and the news globally, as I was going to minor in political science. It's our responsibility and civic duty to stay informed."