With COVID-19 cases on the rise in the United States, public health professionals are urging residents of cities with outbreaks to do a few things: 1) Avoid crowds as much as possible; 2) work from home; and 3) wash your hands frequently and for 20 seconds at a time. But it is practically impossible for some workers to follow all of the recommended guidelines to prevent the spread of disease, and the service industry has been facing a particular burden due to the quickly advancing epidemic.

We interact with service industry workers daily: baristas at coffee shops, waitstaff at restaurants, manicurists at nail salons, the checkout guy at the local bodega, the Uber driver in whose car we ride, and so on. These are people who provide services we rely on in our everyday routines, and a majority of these workers do not have the luxury of preparing for the affects of a coronavirus outbreak on their jobs and incomes.

Teen Vogue spoke with four young service workers in major urban areas at risk for coronavirus spread — New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, and the greater Boston area — to learn how the disease is impacting their daily routines and livelihoods.

Seattle, Washington

The Seattle area, where the first death attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S. occurred, is among the places with the highest incidents of the disease. Nathaniel Steiner, 26, works at a popular Taiwanese-based restaurant franchise in the middle of Seattle's downtown. He’s noticed the number of guests recede in the past few weeks. "It’s undeniable that Asians are being viewed suspiciously by some people. Folks are avoiding crowded places, and we operate in shopping malls," he tells Teen Vogue. "The Chinatown-International District feels particularly empty, and there are reports of small restaurants suffering from a dramatic drop in sales."

"Service industry workers have to deal directly with people. Being in crowded spaces, working hands on, dealing with dirty dishes — all things [that should be] avoided in a pandemic. Our health is at greater risk alongside our jobs," Nathaniel explains. "This industry has always been taken for granted, and Seattle’s tech boom has exacerbated the divide." In recent years, Seattle has seen a large boom, with corporations like Amazon and Google and Facebook outposts growing their presence in the city. This has created a huge disparity in income levels within Seattle.

Many tech industry workers and corporate employees are being told to work from home, which means fewer people are going out for lunch breaks. "I’m taking off one to two days per week, voluntarily. The situation is harder for those working morning [or afternoon] shifts who are more reliant on corporate traffic and tourists," Nathaniel says. He adds that he’s still making decent tips for now, with fewer servers on the floor, though he has noticed a decline. "I know a colleague who was worried she’d have to find a second job if this runs long-term."

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles County has seen at least 20 cases of coronavirus, a number that’s rising and will likely continue to do so as access to reliable testing improves. Ivy Park, 22, works at a hot-pot restaurant outside of L.A., and she’s noticed customers’ attitudes change when they come to the restaurant. "I've seen a couple customers spray disinfectant around their table in the restaurant and sanitize all of their utensils and plates,” she tells Teen Vogue. In her daily life, she’s noticed a change in how people behave: "I can see people's underlying racism and xenophobia peeking through."