A Harvard custodian experiencing coronavirus symptoms has accused the university with a $40.9 billion endowment of neglect after she was told there were no more masks available.
Doris Reina-Landaverde, 41, stayed behind on campus after students were told to leave on March 10 so she could disinfect dormitories.
But when her supply of latex gloves and masks ran out and she asked her supervisor for more masks, she was told none were left, reported NBC News.
Reina-Landaverde says she's now feeling symptoms including a sore throat, chills and coughing.
She has been getting donations of personal protective gear (PPE) from students and said it's a shame she can't rely on her employer.
'I feel like the university doesn't care about me or my co-workers,' she told NBC News.
'We are human beings. I feel like a vacuum or a broom that you only use when you need it.'
'We remain committed to providing all of our essential workers with the appropriate tools and training they need to stay safe on campus,' university spokesman Jason Newton told NBC News.
'Any employee who is ill, who needs to self-isolate or who needs to care for dependents can immediately begin using their paid time-off benefits, including use of up to 14 days of paid sick time they have not yet earned.'
Harvard University did not immediately return DailyMail.com's request for comment.
According to VOA News, Reina-Landaverde was making $114 per month when she decided to leave her native El Salvador in 2000.
She made a three-month journey across Mexico's Sonoran desert and arrived in the US with temporary protected status.
The program, from the US Department of Homeland Security, allows recipients from countries with man-made or environmental crises to work and live legally in the US.
Reina-Landaverde has worked at Harvard for 15 years, fighting for social justice, including contract negotiations in 2016 when janitors unionized in 2016.
She began feeling symptoms of COVID-19 including chills, a sore throat and coughing last week. Her physician advised her to stay home and self-quarantine.
Reina-Landaverde said she's been told she doesn't meet the criteria for testing so she's self-isolating from her husband and three daughters.
On Tuesday, Harvard President Lawrence Bacow announced that he and his wife Adele tested positive for coronavirus.
Bacow said they started experiencing symptoms including a cough, fever, chills and body aches on Sunday.
The couple has been working from home and limiting their contact with others since March 14 as a precaution
Harvard said 18 of its community members have tested positive for COVID-19 or are presumed to have the illness. It's not clear if this includes Reina-Landarverde.
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