Increasing Calls to Track US Healthcare Worker Deaths by COVID

“There is a combination of selective past reflections to more accurately aggregate past burdens and data collection systems to ensure more complete counts. [the] The future, “he said.

Zenei Triunfo Cortez, chairman of the National Nurses United, the largest registered nurse organization in the United States, said the number of health care workers who died in COVID-19 was rude. KHN / Guardian Interactive found that nearly one-third of those who died were nurses, the largest single profession, followed by support staff (20%) and doctors (17%). did.

Triunfo-Cortez said the death toll was an unacceptable tragedy exacerbated by the lack of federal data, making it more difficult to identify problem areas. “We nurses don’t deserve this — we signed up to take care of the patient, we didn’t sign up to die,” she said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top US expert on infectious diseases, also sees the role of the federal agency in tracking front-line healthcare worker mortality. In an interview with the Guardian, he expressed his desire for a definitive picture of human suffering.

“We certainly want to find the exact number of dead people,” he said. “It’s what I think is under the auspices of the federal government, perhaps health and welfare services.”

The lack of federal information about the deaths of front-line health care workers was one of the ongoing failures of the Trump administration’s failed response to the crisis. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a major health care agency, manages some information, but has its own unique death toll of 1,527 healthcare workers, more than 2,000 less than the Guardian and KHN joint tally. We acknowledge that the records are undervalued based on restrictions. With that data collection.

Overall, it became clear that healthcare professionals were exposed to the risk of a pandemic alone. Some studies have shown that people are more than three times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than the general population.

To date, there are no signs that the Biden administration is taking positive steps to build a comprehensive data system. An HHS spokesman said the ministry has no plans to launch a comprehensive count. However, Triunfo-Cortez said he has a new willingness to listen and get involved with the White House and major federal agencies.

“We are working with the Biden administration and they have accepted the changes we are proposing,” said Triunfo Cortez. “I hope they will start requiring reporting of deaths, because without that data, how can we know how effective it is in stopping a pandemic?”

The reaction of the new administration is likely to be enhanced by the fact that Biden’s Chief of Staff Ron Klain has a track record of fighting outbreaks of infectious diseases. In 2014, President Barack Obama appointed him “Emperor Ebola”.

In an article by The Guardian last August, Klain used the findings of “Lost on the Frontline” to blame the final price paid by healthcare professionals. , We have consistently failed them in the most important places. “

David Blumenthol, national coordinator of health information technology under the Obama administration, said the national tracking system is an important step in healing pandemic wounds. “So many healthcare professionals feel that their dedication and sacrifice are not valued,” he said. “We have to fight widespread fatigue and disappointment.”

KHN Senior Correspondent Christina Jewett contributed to this report. Kaiser Health News is a national news room that produces detailed journalism on health issues. KHN is one of the three major operating programs of the Kaiser Family Foundation, along with policy analysis and polling. KFF is a donated non-profit organization that provides the public with information on health issues.