“They’d rather be on the safe side,” she said. “And I understand: They’re scared of what’s happening.”

Ms. Bauccio rarely leaves the house except to work and interacts only with her husband, she said, who is unemployed and also stays at home. The couple relies on her housekeeping jobs.

“I’m worrying about paying the mortgage, never mind putting food on the table,” she said.

‘Pay them what you normally would’

Professor Cuchara said that compared with other service workers who might come into a house, a cleaner is certainly safer.

“They have to worry about infectious disease all the time,” she said. “I think it seems that they’re the most prepared than all of us to deal with it. It’s tough to know where to draw the line. We’re doing takeout and delivery and not testing the food workers.”

The National Domestic Workers Alliance, an advocacy group, has recommended that house cleaners stop entering private homes for the duration of the crisis to protect themselves and clients.

“The kind thing to do, if you are a person of means, is to pay them what you normally would this month knowing that when they will come back to work, they will be happy to come back to your home and continue to build a long-term working relationship together,” the organization said in a statement. “The best thing for everyone’s health is stay home to slow the spread of the virus, and that includes supporting domestic workers so that they can stay at home.”

‘A person you’re inviting into your most intimate space’

Dr. Garg said he had cut down on the risk by providing his own cleaning supplies. He and his family stay seven feet away from the house cleaner as she mops, sweeps and vacuums to keep her — and themselves — safe.