A community member getting a Covid test in San Francisco. Photo by Mike Chen.
A selection of photos from photographer Mike Chen, taken during the pandemic in San Francisco. This week is the one-year anniversary of Unidos en Salud or United in Health, the partnership formed to provide low-barrier access to vaccination, testing and care to the community.
CCSF nusing student Audrey Jung collects blood samples from a squeamish George Kailas as he is comforted by his partner Emily Brunts during UCSF’s mass Covid-19 testing study at Garfield Park. A comprehensive study of the virus’s spread held by University of California at San Francisco researchers in partnership with San Francisco Department of Public Health and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, mass testing is provided free of charge for the 5,700 residents in a one mile square radius of the Mission district. SAN FRANCISCO, APRIL 26, 2020 (Mike Kai Chen/Freelance).Rosairio Rodriguez, a volunteer with Unidos En Salud (United in Health), registers a Mission resident for free Covid-19 testing at a low-barrier test site, targeting San Francisco’s hard-hit Latinx community, located at 24th Mission Bart Station on March 2, 2021. The recent vaccination focus has resulted in a severe drop in the emphasis on and volume of regular testing.Jessica Dormus and Methinee Mullen process swab samples with Abbott Antigen rapid tests at an Unidos En Salud (United in Health) low-barrier Covid-19 test site located at 24th Mission Bart Station targeting San Francisco’s hard-hit Latinx community on March 2, 2021. The recent vaccination focus has resulted in a severe drop in the emphasis on and volume of regular testing at the site.Thu Nguyen swabs Johnny Williams for COVID-19 at an Unidos En Salud (United in Health) low-barrier Covid-19 test site located at 24th Mission Bart Station targeting San Francisco’s hard-hit Latinx community on March 2, 2021. The recent vaccination focus has resulted in a severe drop in the emphasis on and volume of regular testing at the site.Volunteers with Unidos en Salud canvases throughout the Mission neighborhood putting up fliers notifying residents of free upcoming Covid-19 testing. Unidos en Salud (United in Health) a partnership between the Latino Task Force for Covid-19, UCSF, and the San Francisco Department of Health canvased and tested close to 1,500 residents over three days at the 24th Mission Bart station in the Mission District of San Francisco, focused on the most vulnerable Latinx population. SAN FRANCISCO, NOV 19 to 24, 2020 (Mike Kai Chen/Freelance).Rafael Gonzalez, an AIDS researcher with the City of San Francisco, canvasses door-to-door urging and pre-registering residents in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco for free mass Covid-19 testing.Medical student and volunteer Yohana Keleta swabs Mission resident Anna Zhong for Covid-19 during UCSF’s mass testing study at Garfield Square. A comprehensive study of the virus’s spread held by UC San Francisco researchers in partnership with San Francisco Department of Public Health and Zuckerberg General, mass testing is provided free of charge for the 5,700 residents in a one mile square radius of the Mission district. SAN FRANCISCO, APRIL 25, 2020 (Mike Kai Chen/Freelance).CCSF student nurse and volunteer Karina Furlan swabs Mission resident John Herrera for Covid-19 during a free mass testing study at Garfield Park. A comprehensive study of the virus’s spread held by UC San Francisco researchers in partnership with San Francisco Department of Public Health and Zuckerberg General, mass testing is provided free of charge for the 5700 residents in a one mile square radius of the Mission district. SAN FRANCISCO, APRIL 26, 2020 (Mike Kai Chen/Freelance).Mission resident and artist Matthew Reinke is tested for Covid-19 at home as his partner, Melissa McMillan, awaits her turn.Unidos en Salud at 24th Street.Technicians with BayPLS were contracted by UCSF to process swab samples with antigen rapid tests at a Covid-19 pop up test site at the 16th Mission BART station. The pop-up test site is a series of testing initiatives put on by Unidos en Salud, a partnership between UC San Francisco Medical School and the Latino Task Force for Covid-19. SAN FRANCISCO, September 21, 2020 (Mike Kai Chen/Freelance).Unidos En Salud volunteers Glenda Cifuentes, a restaurant cashier, and Rosario Rodriguez canvass throughout the hard hit Mission District, passing out fliers informing community members of free upcoming low barrier Covid-19 testing. SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 9, 2021 (Mike Kai Chen/Freelance).Technicians with BAPLS (Bay Area Phlebotomy and Laboratory Services) were contracted by UCSF to process test samples with BinaX rapid Covid-19 test cards and to notify residents with results within hours. This is the sixth series of low barrier testing campaigns for San Francisco’s hard-hit Latinx community. SAN FRANCISCO, January 10, 2021 (Mike Kai Chen/Freelance).Jillian Ganzfried, a BayPLS (Bay Phlebotomy Laboratory Services) phlebotomist, administers a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to Jose Luis Castellanos, 65, at the Unidos En Salud low barrier vaccination site in the Mission District of San Francisco on Monday, March 1, 2021. A partnership between UC San Francisco Medical School and Latino Task Force, Unidos En Salud’s community focused pandemic response provides low barrier vaccination and testing targeting San Francisco’s hard-hit Latinx community.
Mike is a San Francisco based freelance photographer and photojournalist passionate about stories of resilience and moments that define the human essence. www.mikekaichen.com
Please keep your comments short and civil. Do not leave multiple comments under multiple names on one article. We will zap comments that fail to adhere to these short and very easy-to-follow rules.
Mike Chen is fine as all get out. Oh yeah and is work is good too.