Most workers who died of COVID in 2020 had something essential in common, study finds

[Eugene]

Source: Miami Herald

Most workers who died of COVID in 2020 had something essential in common, study finds

Daniel Chang
Sat, June 4, 2022, 6:00 AM·4 min read

Most working-age Americans who died of COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic were so-called essential workers in labor, service and retail jobs that required on-site attendance and prolonged contact with others, according to a recently published study led by a University of South Florida epidemiologist.

The study looks back on COVID-19 deaths in 2020 and affirms what many had already known or suspected — that Americans who could not work from home and who labored in low-paying jobs with few or no benefits, such as paid sick leave and health insurance coverage, bore the brunt of deaths during the pandemic’s first year, said Jason Salemi, an associate professor in USF’s College of Public Health and co-author of the study.

Salemi said the finding, while perhaps expected, left him with two takeaways: That essential workers need more protections during an infectious disease pandemic, and that society’s desire to “return to normal” will mean different things for different people — with inequitable consequences.

-snip-

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/most-people-died-covid-2020-100000339.html

Original Miami Herald link: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article262129007.html

[niyad]

1. NSS

[Hekate]

8. Shocked but not in the least tiny bit surprised

[Faux pas]

2. ...

[Skittles]

3. no benefits means going to work sick

ensuring its spread

[halfulglas]

5. Yep, not Covid, but the years I had no health benefits and limited time off

I was praised for going to work with a racking cough and dizziness. So many of those years days off rolled vacation days and time off taken for anything else into 10 working days off. It's a crappy deal and companies know it, but they get away with it and tout how generous they are by "letting you take it any way you want." I sincerely hope even though I'm now retired, that seeing what that does in a pandemic is not really choice.

[Skittles]

6. yes

I've always found the advice to stay home from work if you are sick absolutely ridiculous for people who lack benefits....insulting, really.

[elias7]

4. Exposure, exposure, exposure...

That’s what that study says.

[Cheezoholic]

7. Slaves n/t

[JohnnyRingo]

9. I've believed it's about dosage all along, just from what I read.

A small dose like you would get from someone passing in a store aisle is easy for most immune systems to eradicate, but if you spend a great amount of time with an infected person your body becomes overwhelmed.

I read that once it goes into the bloodstream there isn't much they can do. Your immune system has to defeat it before it gets to that point, which it will do in a healthy person and low dosage.

[SergeStorms]

10. Did DeSatan authorize this study?

One of his State Universities wasting money that could be used for important things like tax cuts for wealthy Floridians! He's not going to like that.

[appalachiablue]

11. Kick