A snapshot of COVID-19 outside Iowa


Danny Freese and his girlfriend Griffin Chumas reside in Manhattan, N.Y. While Freese works from home, Chumas works in a skilled nursing facility. The couple took this picture in their PPE in Soho with the One World Trade Center seen in the background. The streets are empty with people sheltering in place. (Photo submitted)
Freese shares of dire situation in Manhattan, N.Y.
By: 
Kim Brooks
Express Editor

     It seems the State of New York is the epicenter of coronavirus (COVID-19) right now in the United States.

     As of April 13, there have been over 9,000 deaths in the state, with over 188,000 confirmed positive cases. That compares to 562,500 confirmed cases in the U.S.

     So many people in Monticello and Jones County know someone living in an area of the country hit hard by COVID-19, whether it’s Florida, California, Washington, or New York.

     Danny Freese, son of Brad and Dana Freese of Monticello, a 2007 graduate of Monticello High School moved to New York in 2018. Freese and his girlfriend, Griffin Chumas, both reside in downtown Manhattan.

     Freese works for JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle), a real estate company. Specifically, he works with the investment banking team.

     Chumas is a speech pathologist in a skilled nursing facility. She’s lived in New York all her life.

     While Freese is working from home, Chumas continues to go into work as an essential part of the N.Y. workforce right now.

     “My life changed dramatically three weeks ago,” shared Chumas.

     While everyone within the nursing facility is trained for their particular jobs, Chumas said they’re all doing each other’s jobs to make sure the patients are well cared for.

     “We’re short staffed,” she said. “People are sick, afraid to come to work, or have childcare issues.”

     The nursing facility has three floors used right now to quarantine residents.

     “A lot of our residents have contracted coronavirus,” shared Chumas. “We have patient-only staff assigned to those residents on those floors.”

     Chumas admitted while she’s worried for her own health, or bringing COVID-19 home with her, she stays focused on the health of her patients.

     Even getting to work, a two-hour walk, is dangerous for Chumas when taking the subway.

     “It’s a challenge,” she said of maintaining a clear distance from others and wearing her PPE (personal protective equipment).

     The couple really started to notice life in New York was not going to be the same a several weeks ago, in mid-March, upon their return from a long weekend trip to Colorado.

     “We came home and everything was closed down here,” recalled Freese. “Nothing was open for business.”

     “Even when we were in Colorado, things started to boil up at that time,” added Chumas. “Once they issued a shelter-in-place, things escalated.”

     Freese said with Chumas on the frontlines because of her profession, she’s witnessing the mayhem first-hand, as well as the shortage of PPE for the medical community.

     “Even the markets now are selling masks,” she said.

     Working from home himself, Freese said it hasn’t been a huge change of pace, but has taken some getting used to. He said not working in an office-type environment eliminates the employee interaction and socialization.

     “Efficiency was down a bit at first, but I’ve been doing this now a couple of weeks and it’s becoming more efficient,” he said. “The silver living is that I’ve become good at my job from a distance, but the stir-crazy is real.”

     Freese said life in N.Y. is a complete 180 from what they’re used to.

     “Usually it’s go go go,” said Freese. Now, the streets are bare. People are hunkering down. “It’s like a ghost town in lower Manhattan. You used to see hundreds and thousands of people all over. Now I can count the number of people I see on my hand.”

     “Everyone is coping in a similar way,” added Chumas.

     When they do have to venture outside to go to the store or pick up carry-outs from a local restaurant, they make sure to wear masks and gloves.

     “We’re encouraged to wear them at all times because there are too many people here,” said Chumas.

     Both Freese and Chumas said the little conveniences they’ve come to rely upon in N.Y. are scarce now.

     “We only go to the store for essentials,” said Freese.

     And they don’t have to worry about buying more than necessary because without a vehicle, the couple can only purchase what they can carry home with them.

     The couple said one positive from all this in N.Y. right now is that people are coming together to support the local restaurants and medical personnel. Chumas said restaurants are delivering food to her work. At 7 p.m. every night, people open their windows and cheer for the healthcare professionals.

     “It’s a beautiful place to be despite the depression,” described Chumas. “This has taught everyone to be more selfless toward others.”

     To keep occupied, Freese and Chumas keep up with their friends via video apps like WhatsApp, having virtual happy hours. Freese makes sure to keep in touch with his family, too, back here in Iowa.

     “That’s another silver living, we’re still able to connect with people,” he said.

     Freese said the media reports of the dire situation in N.Y. are real.

     “People are so far removed from what’s going on here,” he said. “You’re not seeing cases on the scale like we have here. But once it gets there, it spreads so fast and easily. You need to take measures now.”

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