The Coronavirus Pandemic’s Wider Health-Care Crisis

Gwen Darien is a three-time cancer survivor. When she was thirty-five, she was diagnosed with lymphoma; in her fifties, she was treated for breast cancer; two years ago, she learned that she had endometrial cancer. With curly black hair and an indomitable personality, she embodies vibrancy, courage, and resilience. Even so, last month, when she received a call from her doctor’s office about an upcoming visit, she decided to postpone it indefinitely. “I was very unnerved,” she told me. “I thought about all the risks. First, I’d have to get transportation—Uber or train or subway. Then I’d have to walk into the doctor’s office, near a hospital with covid-19 patients. Then I’d have to be in the office with other people, even if they are socially distanced. I’d much rather just wait.”