SINGAPORE -- Since the coronavirus pandemic started, Danna, a transgender "social escort" in Manila, has been afraid to meet strangers. As a companion for hire, Danna's work would involve intimate acts with customers.
Strict measures to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the Philippines and elsewhere in Asia have made jobs that entail close contact difficult at best. For workers like Danna, this has been both a curse and a blessing, robbing them of their livelihoods but also reducing their infection risks.
