COVID-19 is very contagious, and spreads exponentially: each case therefore increases the risk for all of us. As a nurse, I see that people have to work or risk joblessness and homelessness. When workers are unable to protect themselves or others because of the conditions of their workplace, it leads to preventable risk and spread. Since every single case increases the risk for some health care worker, I feel that not mandating precautions exposes not only specific workers, but health care workers, to unnecessary risk. As a nurse, I feel "expendable" when society doesn't protect us. I signed up to serve humanity in times of suffering, but not to die preventably.