COVID-19 Deaths Among US Clinicians | Health Care Workforce | JAMA | JAMA Network

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2020.20804?guestAccessKey=849423ba-963b-4493-841a-4683fb96f71b&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social_jamaim&utm_term=4216612003&utm_campaign=partnership&linkId=105257551

COVID-19 Deaths Among US Clinicians

More than 100 000 US health care personnel have contracted coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since February and at least 641 have died, according to a report by health officials from the CDC and several states.

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Based on data reported to the CDC between February 12 and July 16, the report reflects a 10-fold increase in cases among personnel at health care facilities since the last CDC analysis in April. At that time, nearly 10 000 COVID-19 cases and 27 deaths had been reported. The authors note that the current total likely underestimates the true number of cases among health care personnel because occupational status was available for fewer than one-quarter who had COVID-19.

Among nearly 7000 health care personnel with COVID-19 for whom workplace data were available, two-thirds worked in nursing homes or residential care facilities. About one-third of almost 6000 cases with their occupation reported occurred among health care support workers—nursing assistants, medical assistants, and other providers or aides. Nurses accounted for 29% and physicians for about 3% of cases. Among nonclinical staff, 581 administrative staff and 330 environmental health workers contracted the disease.

Health worker deaths from COVID-19 were most common among men, those aged 65 years or older, and Asian or Black adults. Ninety-two percent of those who died had an underlying health condition compared with 41% of workers who survived. More than half of those who died had cardiovascular disease or diabetes; one-third had both.

The authors recommended ensuring universal mask use in health care settings, screening for illness before entering the workplace, granting nonpunitive sick leave policies, and recognizing the social inequities that put some workers at higher risk in the workplace and at home.

"Ensuring adequate allocation of PPE [personal protective equipment] to all [health care personnel] in the workplace is one important approach to mitigating systemic inequalities in COVID-19 risk," the authors wrote.