To the Editor:

I am completely baffled by the advice coming out that if one is sick one ought to stay at home. Did “Medicare for all” and generous sick time allowances come to the United States when I wasn’t paying attention? Do all the organizations making these “helpful” suggestions think that everyone works for the fun of it?

Many Americans can’t afford to miss work. While the Fed claims that it will make sure the economy stays on track by cutting interest rates, most Americans are trying to figure out how they will make ends meet if schools are closed (um, child care?). Or how they will pay the bills if they miss a week or two of work. (Hey, child care problem solved! Rent or mortgage not so much.)

If you wonder how you contracted that cold, or heaven forbid Covid-19, just remember how many people can’t afford to miss work.

Rainbow Koehl

Bellingham, Wash.

To the Editor:

“C.D.C.’s Missteps in Screening Left Potential for Virus’s Spread” (front page, March 3) reports that German researchers devised a coronavirus test that was then adopted by the World Health Organization for worldwide distribution. Why didn’t the Trump administration obtain the German test?