Who’s at risk from COVID-19? A closer look at occupations in Puerto Rico

As discussions of “reopening” the Puerto Rican economy advance, we feel it’s important to consider which workers face greater risks of becoming infected with the coronavirus, given some particular attributes of their occupations. For example, because some occupations require constant person-to-person interactions, like dentists and flight attendants, and others only on occasion—think of sculptors and archivists—the risk of infection varies significantly depending on the kind of job you have and how you work.

Descifrar el riesgo en tiempos del coronavirus

No es inusual, ante una crisis, escuchar a un gobernante o leer algún eslogan publicitario que apela a la unidad ante la adversidad e insinuar que “todos estamos en el mismo bote”.  Sin lugar a dudas, el esfuerzo colectivo es clave, especialmente en estos tiempos cuando quedarse en la casa es la manera más efectiva de controlar el contagio de un virus que se propaga con suma rapidez y puede ser letal. Pero no nos llamemos a engaños.

Congressional Response to Puerto Rico’s COVID-19 Outbreak

Puerto Rico, which has seen its share of significant back-to-back crises, is once again caught unprepared to tackle the economic costs and public health challenges that will arise from this epidemiological shock. It is just not equipped to face a large-scale health care crisis. That is unless we can secure federal support and empower local institutions.