Not every worker can stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those deemed “essential” have clearance to leave to perform tasks deemed crucial for human safety and health. And they risk exposure to COVID-19 by doing so. We asked some of them to share their experiences. Names of individuals and some details have been withheld or altered to protect their identity and jobs. The stories have been edited slightly for clarity. Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing! The residents where I work are 55 years of age and older and they all have some sort of behavioral health issue. Within the last couple weeks, we have had seven residents taken out for COVID-19 symptoms. The first one tested positive and has already passed away. The second is asymptomatic and still at the hospital, and the others are more recent, so we are waiting on their test results. Our head nurse has been out sick for at least three weeks now. One of my employees in the kitchen had tested positive and has been out for two weeks. Other employees are scared and not coming in at all or are sick and haven’t gone for testing. We have been taking all the necessary precautions that we can, but it seems like that’s not stopping it. We are so short-staffed that we are running ourselves ragged. Trying to order supplies has been crazy, too. They are either out, in short supply, or the delivery times have been pushed back so far that we’re only able to get what we can get. My oldest daughter also works there, so I am extra afraid of either one of us bringing it home to my other two daughters or my 72- year- old mother who lives upstairs from us and watches them. I feel anxious and nervous, and I’m pretty much drained every day when I get home. To be honest, if they take any more residents out for this, I probably will stop going in. I have to do what I have to do to keep my family safe. I work at a local hospital. Unfortunately, I am considered an essential worker so there’s no staying at home. While I felt fortunate still having a job while everyone was losing theirs, the great risk of being infected and bringing it home was scary. As the days went by, it has become a nightmare working in this field. We are treated horribly by our staff. We are not provided the right personal protective equipment, and we are forced to clean COVID-19 rooms and report to work sick. I’m currently under in-home quarantine due to symptoms. Even after reporting the symptoms, I was told to report to work, but instead went to the emergency room. I believe we are frontline workers, but we get treated like garbage. Essential worker here. I used to work in an oncology setting. If you know cancer survivors, you know they feel a great deal of anxiety before they go in for their 3-6-9-12 month checkups. They fear finding out that they have cancer again. I feel like that. Every. Single. Day. I sit on the edge of my bed thinking … is this the day? Will I bring it home today? If I do, how will I fare? I’ve revised my living will just to make sure, if my life were to end, it ends as I want it to. I work at Walmart and as a tax preparer. At Walmart, it’s like Black Friday every single day. I have been yelled at for not having toilet paper and called an [expletive] at work for asking for ID to sell ammunition. Tax preparation has increased due the stimulus check and we get nonstop calls about it. It has been stressful, but I am thankful I am able to work when so many cannot. But kindness does go a long way. I worry so much about my daughter who just had my first grandbaby. I have not met her because there’s no way I am putting them at risk. My heart hurts due to the fact a lot of people don’t appreciate what we as retailers go through every day since this started. We get yelled at, spit on and called names. Just always remember: Do unto others as you would want done to you. One person, one cart. If you don’t have to go out, don’t. Don’t risk your family. I work as a medical assistant in a women’s health clinic. I still have to go to work, and it makes me nervous. I’m doing the best I can at my job to keep everyone safe, so we are all wearing masks and cleaning everything every day. But it does make me scared. I have two family members who have already contracted the virus. I’m just afraid to be around people. I’m an Amazon flex delivery driver. Work there has slowed way down, not that there’s no work, but because there are so many drivers so it’s hard to get deliveries. There are more workers because a lot of people have lost or been laid off from their normal jobs. Right now, Amazon is basically delivering only essential things.