Nikila Watkins
This story is part of Coping with COVID-19, a series of brief looks at people in a pandemic.
By Nyjah Bunn
Nikila Watkins is a cousin, aunt, niece, sister, granddaughter, daughter, wife and mother.
But during the pandemic she picked up the title of essential worker. Watkins supervises an adult group home in Ecorse, Michigan, for five to 10 adults with disabilities.
A lot of people depend on her, said Watkins, 39. The patients expect their needs to be taken care of, such as bathing and eating. Employees look to her for leadership. And she has responsibilities to her three children at home.
The group home workers take their temperatures and fill out a questionnaire to determine if they have any coronavirus symptoms. Three of her coworkers suspect they had the virus earlier this year and didn’t know it.
“Some are asking for extra hours,” she said. “At least three of the staff here had other jobs they were working. Now they are closed, and this is all they have.”
Watkins thanks God no one is sick now. But she isn’t scared of contracting the virus from her patients or employees.
“I use the proper precautions,” Watkins said,” I keep washing my hands and wear a mask and gloves when I got out, I’m not scared because I don’t go anywhere but work or home.”
It’s frustrating to see people not know how to wear and use protective equipment like gloves, she said.
She was trained and certified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on the proper technique to wear and use gloves. Now she is spreading the word, taking to her Facebook page to teach people how to do the same and to describe the effects of cross-contamination.