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Health care workers and first responders who die of the coronavirus should be treated like a soldier who dies in a war while defending this country. Because that’s what we are in — a war.

Those who die trying to save us have families who need their loved one’s salary to survive. The deceased can’t get unemployment insurance. Their health care could be extended, but it would end. We need to support those who supported us by offering their surviving family members the same benefits as a deceased soldier who dies in battle. It won’t cost a lot, but it certainly will help those families and the morale of their co-workers.

Jared Hershkowitz,

Dix Hills

It’s good that so many are thanking our courageous health care workers during this crisis [“Parade of support for hospital workers,” News, April 10]. Appreciation has been shown for the selfless work of doctors, nurses, respirator workers, engineers and custodial staffs. They deserve the thanks and respect they have been receiving. There is one health care group, though, that never seems to get mentioned. These professionals on the front lines have direct contact with every isolation patient every day, all day. These unsung heroes are our radiologic technologists, the ones who take the chest X-rays of every isolation patient, putting themselves in harm’s way. Each portable X-ray requires two technologists, one to lift the patient and the other to place the image receptor behind the patient’s back. Let’s not forget these health care soldiers when we speak about the others.

Shari Schubert,

Sayville

I appreciate our medical personnel and essential service providers who protect us and keep life going. I want to add another essential service provider who has not been mentioned in the many TV public service announcements: the funeral director.

The past few weeks, my daughter, an experienced funeral director, has been working 12- to 14-hour days. She removes bodies from homes, hospitals, morgues, nursing homes and refrigerator trucks. She has to use masks, gloves and gowns. She has signed in and accompanied the deceased at cemeteries and dealt with new rules and limitations. She has helped to disinfect and embalm. And there is still a two-week backlog at the cemeteries and crematories.

It is so hard for these dedicated workers to tell families that they cannot have a traditional funeral or even a gathering at the graveside. My daughter puts her role in perspective. “We are not the first responders,” she says. “We are the last responders.”

Gail Audiino,

Brentwood

Essential workers include food store personnel, cashiers and stock workers, truck drivers, fast-food employees, bus drivers, sanitation workers, cooks, warehouse workers, farm workers, nurses’ aides and others who keep our society running. They are also the ones paid the least in our society.

These are the people who would benefit from receiving an increase in the minimum wage, which is supposed to ensure that all workers are fairly rewarded and have a decent quality of life. Let’s not just thank these essential workers, let’s pass a $15-an-hour minimum wage for all of them across this country. Now, this is the way to say thank you.

Contact your federal and state representatives to help make this happen now.

Peter Barnett,

Sayville

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