That’s why we must listen to the professional caregivers whose full-time job it is to support some of the most at-risk populations, particularly older people, young children and the range of people with compromised immune systems.

The recent outbreak at a skilled nursing facility in Washington State underscores the urgency of this. Some of the first known deaths in the nation were among direct-care workers who interacted with older people. Health officials agree that the risks for older people and for people with underlying health conditions are greatest. What you don’t hear about as much is that the workers who are closest to those populations are also at risk.

Domestic workers and caregivers do not have the same legal protections provided to almost all other workers in the United States. Most domestic workers in the United States today are black women and other women of color, and this was also true in the 1930s when Southern congressmen agreed to pass the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act only after domestic and agricultural workers were excluded. The Occupational Safety and Health Act that mandates basic protections also excludes domestic workers.

So when we think about the coronavirus — whom we need to listen to, whom we must protect and who will protect us — remember the domestic and direct care workers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should direct more of their resources toward the front-line care professionals who work in the home and the community. These workers should be provided with masks and other safety equipment, rather than having to worry about where they will get them. They should be offered free testing and treatment for coronavirus. State and federal governments should distribute prevention materials in the many languages that domestic workers speak. The same workers who have been in the shadows could be key to stemming the spread of the virus. They can help ensure that children as well as people who are older or ill are taking the necessary precautions. They just need the chance to be a part of the solution.

Employers must help, too. By providing paid sick days, flexibility and other accommodations, they can ensure that caregivers can protect their own health. It is a good time for employers to reassure caregivers they will have a job, even if they need to stay home. It’s also a good time to contribute to benefits for your domestic worker. Programs like Alia, a benefits program by the National Domestic Workers Alliance, make it easy to enable your domestic worker to take a paid day off and gain access to a safety net.