Vol. 121, No. 6 Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020 EMPLOYED IN A PANDEMIC Photos by Josie Chen, Lily LaRegina, Noah Riffe and courtesy of Mount Nittany Medical Center PAGE 2 | THURSDAY, SEpt. 17, 2020 ESSENTIAL WORKERS THE DAILY COLLEGIAN How first responders operate in a pandemic By Lilly Riddle and may “come at a potentially THE DAILY COLLEGIAN very significant cost to the com- munity,” according to Bair. This fall, many Penn State Cheroret said he also worries students have been Zooming about an outbreak of the virus, into classes from their dorms, which would force him out of the apartments and homes. firehouse. But some, like the student “If the station gets firefighters living at the Alpha contaminated, I have nowhere to Fire Company, Zoom from in- go,” Cheroret said. side of a fire station. In the event of an outbreak, Christophe Cheroret, a vol- Cheroret said the live-in firefight- unteer firefighter currently liv- ers would likely be relocated to a ing at the Alpha firehouse and a nearby hotel. Courtesy of Mount Nittany Medical Center graduate student studying “We can’t shut down. When Dr. Gregory Ruff works at Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, Pennsylvania. education, said balancing fire- somebody calls 911, somebody fighting with online classes can has to show up,” Bair said. “Our be challenging. only option, in the event that we “When you’re in class, you are adversely impacted to the Mount Nittany helps can have a fire alarm that point that we cannot function as drops,” Cheroret said. “There we do today, is to reach out to a are less people now that are place less affected by this thing available to respond, so some than we are. And depending on of us, with the permission of what’s going on, that could be a patients amid COVID our teachers, will respond pretty long reach.” while we’re in class.” As for the State College Police By Courtney McGinley protective equipment and proto- Nittany Health. He also helps First responders at the Alpha Department, Greg Brauser, the THE DAILY COLLEGIAN cols in place to help keep us and to make decisions on issues Fire Company and State Col- lieutenant in charge of commu- our patients safe, but it is always involving coronavirus test collec- lege Police Department said the nity relations, said implementing Since the coronavirus a concern.” tion sites, visitation policies and essential nature of their jobs recent coronavirus mitigation ef- pandemic began in March, Ruff said testing resources telehealth visits. merits business as usual, even forts is one of the main changes doctors and other medical pro- are not completely adequate “Rapid change within an as the coronavirus spreads brought about by the pandemic. fessionals nationwide have been and can raise concerns or create organization is accelerated dur- across the country. On Aug. 4, the State College working on the front lines to struggles for essential front-line ing a pandemic,” Hester said. This year — according to Borough Council approved an combat the spread of the virus. workers. “It’s always a challenge try- Steve Bair, the Centre Region ordinance requiring masks when Dr. Gregory Ruff and Dr. Chris- “As the students return to ing to keep up with the swiftly Council of Governments fire within 6 feet of others, limiting topher Hester, both of Mount Nit- campus, we continue to follow evolving information on coronavi- director — there are 11 people gatherings and restricting lines tany Medical Center, expressed closely the disease trends in the rus, sometimes on a daily basis.” living at the Alpha Fire Compa- outside of downtown businesses. what it means to be an essential community and remain commit- Hester and his team continue ny’s Beaver Avenue station out “We knew there would be worker in the State College area ted to working with the univer- to work together to monitor and of 100 total company members. somewhat of a learning curve,” amid the pandemic. sity to be able to respond to the adapt to the virus, making sure Bair worries about a po- Brauser said. Ruff is the section chief for medical needs of the area,” Ruff to follow guidelines from the tential coronavirus outbreak “...The first initial phase of our pulmonary and sleep medicine said. Centers for Disease Control and within the station, which enforcement was when we got for Mount Nittany Health and Ruff helped to create a plan for Prevention and the Department he said would compro- called or came across violations, has been working at the medical the medical center in response to of Health. mise firefighters’ ability to [and] we had handouts… to give center amid the pandemic, both the coronavirus in the worst-case “We want to do what’s best for respond to calls. everybody the gist of what the directing and attending to the scenario. our patients, staff and this com- “If you have something that rules were and what you had to intensive care unit. “A lot of the planning we munity, and we are working end- sweeps through the popu- do.” He oversees the health sys- put in place has not had to be lessly to best care for everyone,” lace… there is no one else to Brauser said the most common tem’s clinical approach to activated,” Ruff said. “We have Hester said. reach out to,” Bair said. “It’s call the department has gotten so coronavirus and serves as the been fortunate to have fared The most important thing peo- going to be very difficult to far this school year has been for chief triage officer for the hospi- much better than in larger ple can do to help is to follow the make all of that work.” reports of gatherings larger than tal by monitoring supplies, beds, metropolitan areas.” basic coronavirus protocol, he If 30% of the company became 10 people, the limit imposed by availability of equipment and Hester is a healthcare provider said. compromised, Bair said, Alpha the borough council’s ordinance. medications. with Mount Nittany Physician “Practice social distancing, Fire would reach out to other Brauser said previous years’ Ruff has been exposed to Group Internal Medicine and wash your hands frequently stations for help. most common calls were alcohol- several contagious illnesses serves as the clinical chief officer for at least 20 seconds at a time If the entire county became or tailgate-related. throughout his career, which he of primary care services. and wear a mask,” Hester said. compromised, however, the “Most college students don’t said always brings a certain level Though he would normally “We’re in this together as a company would have to reach want to be sent home or have of anxiety and uncertainty. work on the front lines with community, and it will take all of out to Altoona, Harrisburg or classes completely canceled, “We are in contact with patient care, during the us, together, to get to the other Williamsport. so there is a common goal that COVID-19 patients or patients pandemic, Hester has been part side.” And though the everybody, for the most part, is who have been exposed to of implementing changes that infrastructure is in place to working toward,” Brauser said. COVID-19 on an almost daily ba- affect patients, community To email reporter: [email protected]. provide Alpha with interim Visit collegian.psu.edu to read sis,” Ruff said. “We have personal members and staff at Mount Follow her on Twitter at @court-mcginley. staffing, it is a complex process the full story. THE DAILY COLLEGIAN ESSENTIAL WORKERS THURSDAY, SEPT. 17, 2020 | PAGE 3 Puzzles Coronavirus’ impact from summer to fall By Noor Al-Ahmad we get through this. It’s not an sification rules, like THE DAILY COLLEGIAN individual thing.” people who are independent Mitchell Pensak, who has contractors. During a typical year, the shift worked at McLanahan’s Down- Though they were able to file that downtown State College town Market since his fresh- for unemployment, the process workers experience between man year at Penn State, said the was more complicated than it summer and fall includes a dip working environment downtown would be for more conventional in demand. in the summer as compared to workers. However, the additional the fall are “completely different A 1099 employee is an pressure of a statewide shutdown animals.” independent contractor who of non-essential businesses in Although McLanahan’s tends works under their own guidance, March and the danger of a high- to be packed with students and unlike a permanent worker who ly contagious disease has only families in the fall, Pensak (se- takes direction from a company, added to declining demand. nior-civil engineering) said more according to UpCounsel, a le- Joy Rodgers-Mernin, who has locals show up at the store in the gal platform that aims to help owned and worked for The Nit- summer. businesses build their own legal tany Quill since 1984, reopened The biggest challenge, he said, terms. on May 8, but noted that the is overcoming boredom. Despite some returning summer was “strange.” “You go from days where you’re students’ irresponsibility in re- Having worked at The doing nothing at all, you’re just gard to properly social distanc- Nittany Quill for 36 years, Rod- sitting at the register or even just ing and seeing the numbers of gers-Mernin reflected on previ- stocking, and you wouldn’t see a positive coronavirus cases in- ous shifts she has seen in the soul for hours on end,” Pensak crease, Hutton said the return community. said. of students this fall was an eco- She said she watched as the However, Pensak also said nomic necessity for many small Nittany Mall opened its doors boredom in the time of a global businesses in the area.