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In the three months since COVID-19 has changed the world and delivery of health care, Joana P., center manager of our Eastside site in San Jose, has seen firsthand the results of an often-overlooked side effect of the pandemic: Patients needing care who are forced to shelter-in- place with someone who abuses them.

Recently, a patient came in whose partner had insisted on coming with her to the Eastside health center. “He’d dragged her into the car and said he was going to watch her while she was here,” Joana said. “He wanted to come inside, but we wouldn’t allow that when the patient made it clear that she was afraid and didn’t want him with her.”

Staff at our health centers are familiar with this scenario. But it can be more threatening in the time of COVID-19, when someone facing domestic violence has even fewer options to leave and no protection.

“The patient’s partner continued to be very threatening, and we called the police. He ended up being arrested,” Joana said. “Our patient told us she had agreed to come with him to see us because she knew she would be safe here. She knew that we would be able to help.

This is a privilege we have with our patients. We know we can make them feel safe, that they trust us and we will take care of them. Especially now, that is everything.”

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Tags: covid-19, domestic_violence, social_distancing

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