More than 9,000 healthcare employees have contracted COVID-19 in the U.S., according to CDC data released April 14.
CDC researchers analyzed data on 315,531 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases reported nationwide between Feb. 12 and April 9. The agency identified 9,282 cases known to involve healthcare professionals. The CDC noted this figure is likely an underestimate, since healthcare employee status was only available for 16 percent of cases reported nationally.
Six report findings:
1. The median age of sickened healthcare professionals was 42, and 73 percent were female.
2. About 38 percent had at least one underlying health condition.
3. Among healthcare professionals with available data on exposure, 55 percent said they only had contact with COVID-19 patients in healthcare settings.
4. Ninety-two percent of healthcare professionals reported having fever, cough or shortness of breath. The remainder did not have these symptoms.
5. A majority (90 percent) did not require hospitalization, but severe illness occurred among all age groups.
6. The CDC received reports of 27 deaths among healthcare professionals during this time period, most commonly occurring in individuals 65 and older.
Editor's note: This article was updated April 15 at 11:13 a.m. CDT.