How San Francisco’s Chinatown Got Ahead of the Coronavirus
Despite being a densely populated neighborhood full of vulnerable people, Chinatown was well prepared. April 17, 2020 SAN FRANCISCO — On Jan. 24, the eve of the Chinese New Year, Dr. Jian Zhang, the chief executive of San Francisco’s Chinese Hospital, saw an alarming photograph as she scrolled through her holiday greetings on WeChat. An…
Read MoreDavid Werksman
April 28, 2020 For 11 years, David Werksman worked on the bomb squad at the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. His brother once asked him how he went to work each day, knowing the danger. “‘I get up every day, put on the uniform, strap on the gun, kiss my kids, and realize I may never…
Read MoreA talk with Marin County’s health officer
April 27, 2020 Dr. Matt Willis, 54, is Marin County’s public health officer. He is also one of the county’s most recent Covid-19 patients. On March 23, Dr. Willis announced his positive test results via YouTube. Mara Kardas-Nelson, from the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, caught up with Dr. Willis, who is now back…
Read MoreA Coronavirus Death in Early February Was ‘Probably the Tip of an Iceberg’
The startling discovery that the virus was responsible for a Feb. 6 death in California raises questions about where else it might have been spreading undetected. By Thomas Fuller, Mike Baker, Shawn Hubler and Sheri Fink April 22, 2020 Updated April 23, 2020 SAN FRANCISCO — Weeks before there was evidence that the coronavirus was spreading in U.S. communities, Patricia…
Read MoreInside the Bay Area’s Geriatric Homeless Shelter
April 23, 2020 OAKLAND — Anthony Deloney is homeless and 63 years old, a frightful combination in this pandemic. Yet this is how Mr. Deloney described his fate on a recent Thursday afternoon: “Every day the sun rises, there’s something for me to look forward to.” His hopefulness, it turned out, rested on a…
Read MoreKen Machado
April 8, 2020 Ken Machado, known as “Cowboy Kenny,” embodied resilience. Mr. Machado, a 60-year-old former rodeo competitor, did not let Lyme disease, two heart surgeries and injuries from two car accidents stop him from living a full life. “My siblings and I had a list and we’d check off his nine lives,” said his…
Read MoreScott Blanks
Benjamin Lee met Scott Blanks when they worked as baristas at a Starbucks in La Quinta. They quickly became best friends. “He was one of the few people who was always kind to people, even when they weren’t kind to him,” Mr. Lee said. “He just showed me how to be good to people.” One…
Read MoreRosary Celaya Castro-Olega
It was hard to miss Rosary Celaya Castro-Olega when she made her nursing rounds on the eighth floor of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s south tower in Los Angeles. Decked out in purple scrubs, her personality was on full display. “Even after 12-hour shifts, she made it to birthdays and anniversaries,” her daughter, Tiffany Olega, said. “And…
Read MoreWhy California’s Community Health Clinics Are Vital, but Hurting
A look at the clinics that care for some of California’s most vulnerable patients. Published April 13, 2020 Updated April 15, 2020 OAKLEY, Calif.— With chronic thyroid problems and stents in her heart, Caren Abell is one of millions of Californians with underlying health problems that make them especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. Ms. Abell, 53…
Read MoreMarylou Armer
April 10, 2020 At the Santa Rosa Police Department, Marylou Armer was a detective known for meticulous, leave-no-stone-unturned investigations of domestic violence and sexual assault. But what also set her apart was a bottomless reserve of compassion for victims. “She was very human in a profession that isn’t always that way,” Stephen Bussell, a fellow…
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