infection prevention and control in nursing homes said the vulnerabilities facing nursing care aides is just as real as with first responders emergency room doctors and hospital nurses at the life care center in kirkland washington where 35 people died from covid19 47 of the workers there fell ill they are providing vital care to the nations most atrisk population on a daily basis said april verrett president of seiu local 2015 our residents constitute the most atrisk group with regard to this outbreak in most cases they are elderly and suffering from preexisting conditions many of which are respiratory in nature said crystal solorzano ceo of renew health group it was really really hard they called themselves the forgotten on the front lines these workers are putting themselves in harms way every day that they go without proper protective equipment and that ends now in part she said that is because the work involves close contact with residents we were told that if we wanted to wear masks we had to bring in our own more one challenge voiced by several nursing home employees who spoke with abc news was the fear that getting sick would take not only a physical toll but also a financial one jacquelyn martinap federal officials monitoring nursing home cases around the country estimated that more than 400 of the facilities have at least one positive case she understood the reasoning but that did not make it any easier the union for 400000 longterm care workers issued a plea for federal help on wednesday to better protect the health care aides who they say are facing extreme risks as novel coronavirus has spread in dozens of nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the nation and dozens have faced widespread infection during the outbreak exposing not only the vulnerable residents but also those working there its intimate stone said in the fog carroll county health department personnel place a no trespassing sign by the driveway of the pleasant view nursing home in mount airy md sunday march 29 2020 tune into abc at 1 pm et and abc news live at 4 pm et every weekday for special coverage of the novel coronavirus with the full abc news team including the latest news context and analysis