The pandemic's effect on the housing market helped some - but others are left behind Jacqueline Rabe Thomas and Kasturi Pananjady, ctmirror.org April 5, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail A real estate sign is seen in front of a house for sale in West Los Angeles on November 19, 2020. (Chris Delmas/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)CHRIS DELMAS / TNS Last November, Nicolas Rodriguez and his wife Carmen had to scale back their hours at the medical equipment factory where they have worked for 21 years. He never fully recovered his lung capacity after catching COVID-19 in the fall, and coughing and gasping for breath keeps him up most nights. His wife has been sick for months and needs another surgery on her gallbladder, but the high deductible for her first surgery, along with the mortgage on their Hamden home, drained their savings.