Rebecca Mehra
A woman in Oregon bought groceries for an elderly couple who were afraid of catching the coronavirus in the store.
Rebecca Mehra, an Olympic hopeful, didn't hesitate to help when a couple in their 80s gave her $100 and a grocery list to get them what they need.
Mehra posted the incident on her Twitter, where it went viral.
She said the incident was good news amidst some of the anxieties on the spread of the new coronavirus across the US.
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
A woman in Oregon helped a couple in their 80s purchase their groceries after they were too afraid to enter the grocery store when the state announced its first case of the new coronavirus on Wednesday.
Rebecca Mehra, a professional track athlete with Littlewing Athletics, told Business Insider that an elderly woman beckoned her over to her car as she was walking into the grocery store.
Through a slightly rolled down window, the woman explained she and her husband were thinking about going into the grocery store but were worried about catching the coronavirus, given the risk the virus poses to the elderly.
The couple waited in their car for 45 minutes before asking the "right person" to help them buy groceries.
The woman handed Mehra $100 and a grocery list.
"I know it's a time of hysteria and nerves, but offer to help anyone you can. Not everyone has people to turn to," Mehra tweeted about the encounter.
The athlete, who is an Olympic hopeful, said she bought the groceries, placed them in the woman's car, returned her change, and went on with her day.
"It still doesn't feel like that extraordinary thing to do," Mehra said.
She posted the exchange on Twitter, after her boyfriend encouraged her to share the story, and the post went viral.
Studies have shown that coronavirus patients over age 80 have a death rate of 15%.
She explained that while she's not too worried about catching the virus herself, she's conscious of the severe impact she can have on older people, like the woman she helped.
"We need to look out for each other," Mehra told Insider. "We need to do everything we can to help them."
Mehra said she hoped it would be some good news amidst the anxiety stemming from the spread of the coronavirus, but she never expected it to get so much attention.
The track star had been training for the Olympic tryouts in June. While the tryouts haven't been canceled many of the meets, trainings, and events Mehra planned to attend have been, some of which allow her to qualify for the tryout, she said.
However, she said she's making the best of it and continuing to train and go about her daily activities. She said she makes sure she washes her hands frequently and practices good hygiene.
While she said the outbreak has had a negative impact on her income and career, she's also worried about the people who could die from the virus.
Despite the disruption, Mehra said she'll get through the outbreak by doing the best she can with what she has control over and not stressing over what's out of her control.
"We're going to make the best of it," she said.
Oregon now has 32 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The US has reported more than 2,300 cases and 50 deaths.
Read the original article on Insider
All Rights Reserved © 2024
