According to the most recent official data, in 2020, the highest fatality rates from COVID-19 were seen among police officers, firefighters, and other protective service professionals.
The analysis, which analyzed COVID mortality during the first year of the pandemic in 46 states and New York City by profession, was published on Friday by the National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The authors limited their research to civilian workers in the United States between the ages of 15 and 64. This means that people who are self-employed or in the military were not included.
The greatest incidence, 60.3 fatalities per 100,000 employees, was found in the protective service industry, which includes police, firemen, fire inspectors, correctional officers, private detectives, security guards, and probation officers.
In 2020, the overall worker death rate from COVID-19 is projected to be 28.6 per 100,000, therefore this rate is more than double that.
Workers in the food service industry had the second highest mortality toll, at 57.5 per 100,000, followed by those in construction and extraction (57.3), transportation and material moving (56), and agriculture, fishing, and forestry (54.8).
Death rates in 2020 were lower for Americans who worked in settings where they were exposed to the sickest COVID-19 patients, compared to those who did not.
There were 312.2 per 100,000 healthcare support employees (those who assist doctors and nurses in caring for patients, conducting diagnostic procedures, and managing equipment). Read more: A Man from Bennington Has Been Charged with Murder
When compared to the national average, the rate for healthcare professionals was 19.1.
The reasons why some occupations have a higher mortality rate than others weren’t looked at in the study.
Despite this, the authors stressed that “many workers with high COVID-19 fatality rates were typically forced to labor in person throughout stay-at-home orders in 2020.”
Furthermore, these workers were more likely to be near others, both coworkers and the general public, thereby increasing their risk of infection.
As reported by the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum, COVID-19 will be the main cause of death for officers in 2020 and 2021, and this will be due to direct exposure in the line of duty.
According to the study, “direct exposure to the virus while in the conduct of their official duties” is what ultimately led to the officers’ deaths and was reported to the NLEOMF.
Cedric Dixon, 48, was the first uniformed NYPD officer to pass away from COVID-19 in March 2020.
The Detectives’ Endowment Association reports that Dixon served the city for 23 years. Read more: Two People Were Killed in a Kohl’s Store in Palmdale
We are suffering, we are crying, and we continue to fight,” declared Commissioner Dermot Shea at the time. “He had a reputation as someone who would go out of their way to assist others. We will miss him terribly.”
Not until the year 2020’s end were 19 vaccinations made accessible, and only then did they prove to be effective against deadly diseases.
Vaccine requirements have been met with resistance from police and firefighter unions across the country, with some employees losing their jobs as a result of their refusal to comply. Read also: In a Fatal Shooting Outside an Erwinville Tavern, a Jury Finds a Juvenile Guilty of Second-degree Murder
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