There are many people whose missions don’t stop during a pandemic, and among them is an Alexandria, Virginia, doctor who treats the homeless in shelters and on the streets at night.
Demand for Dr. William Mazzella’s services has been up since WTOP first brought you his story in February. But now, his work is increasingly solitary.
“As far as street care, I don’t really feel comfortable having anyone else with me right now due to all the unknowns from coronavirus,” Mazzella said.
He’s using personal protective equipment, depending on its availability.
“Gloves have been in OK supply. Hand sanitizer is getting scarce and hard to get a hold of, and so are masks,” he said.
Shelter residents have become much more diligent about hand washing, keeping a distance from one another and not coughing into the air, Mazzella said.
He urged people to humanize the homeless, especially now.
“They’re socially distanced already,” Mazzella said.
Though financial support for his nonprofit, MedStreet, is appreciated, he said, members of the public can also help on their own, by creating their own bags of hand sanitizer, tissues and food to give out.
It sends the message: “‘Hand sanitizer’s hard to come by and here’s a little bit of it,'” Mazzella said. “Clearly, you care.”
- Sign up for news alerts from WTOP
- Closings and delays
- Empty spaces, masked faces: Scenes from the new coronavirus pandemic
- Traffic and transit changes in DC, Md. and Va. during coronavirus response
- Coronavirus test results in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- Coronavirus FAQ: What you need to know
