More than 2,900 U.S. health workers killed by COVID-19 in pandemic: report

More than 2,900 U.S. health workers were killed during the pandemic on COVID-19, according to an analysis by Kaiser Health News and The Guardian.

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More than 2,900 U.S. health workers killed by COVID-19 in pandemic: report

The report emphasizes that his recorded deaths are significantly higher than those reported by the U.S. government. Healthcare workers in New York and New Jersey, where the pandemic hit hard in early March and April, are responsible for 680 deaths.

Most health workers who died in the pandemic were coloreds and, according to the report, accounted for 65 percent of the deaths. Many were under the age of 60.

Reporters from The Guardian and KHN compiled data through unions, obituaries, newspapers and online reports provided by the survivors of the health workers. They also interviewed family members and friends of about 300 victims. A previous count revealed 1,450 deaths of health workers during the pandemic.

The report found that about one-third of the deaths were due to personal protective equipment, with many hospitals running short in the early months of the pandemic, while cases began to climb.

The information was gathered as part of The Guardian and KHN’s nine-month investigation project entitled “Lost on the Frontline”.

Healthcare workers are one of the most important workers to be first in line for the COVID-19 vaccine. The U.S. began vaccinating with health workers and the elderly earlier this month.