Lost on the frontline has counted more than 3,600 healthcare worker deaths. The first fatalities that we recorded occurred in mid-March 2020, and we finished our count on 7 April 2021.
These are our findings.
More than half were younger than 60
In the general population, the median age of death from Covid-19 is 78. Yet among healthcare workers in our database, it is only 59. The majority of people who died were under the age of 60. Hundreds of even younger people also died while working on the frontlines.
Of the 1,677 people for whom we have age data.
A majority of deceased healthcare workers identified as people of color
Although non-Hispanic white Americans account for about 60% of the US population, and Black Americans account for 13% of the population, we found that white healthcare workers died at a lower rate.
Of the 862 people for whom we have race data.
Many of the cases involved concerns over inadequate PPE
We learned that a large number of those who died were worried about not having enough personal protective equipment (PPE). (We only possess information about PPE concerns for a smaller subset of cases, based on interviews with family members, friends and colleagues, as well as text messages or online messages some victims sent before they died.)
Of the 654 people for whom we have data on PPE concerns.
More than a third of the healthcare workers who died were born outside the United States
And those from the Philippines accounted for a disproportionate number of deaths.
Of the 983 people for whom we have information on their country of origin.
Nurses and support staff account for most deaths
Roughly one in three were nurses, but the total also includes physicians, pharmacists, first responders and hospital technicians, among others.
Of the 1,734 people for whom we we have information on their occupation.
Over 700 worked in New York and New Jersey
These were the two states hit hardest at the outset of the pandemic.
Of the 3,606 people for whom we have information on where they worked.
A huge number of the deaths were early in the pandemic
Nearly 800 died in March, April and May, during the initial surge on the east coast.
Of the 1,694 people for whom we have information on the exact date they died.
Most people did not work at hospitals
About 25% of people worked at a hospital. Everyone else worked in residential facilities, outpatient clinics, hospices and prisons, among other places.
Of the 3,132 people for whom we have data on where they worked. Community health includes people who worked at shelters, health departments and organizations that do street outreach.