Kaiser Health News and The Guardian launched a joint project to document every healthcare worker's death from COVID-19 in the U.S.
More than 9,200 healthcare employees have contracted COVID-19 and 27 have died since mid-February, according to CDC data released April 14. The agency noted these figures are likely underestimates, since healthcare employee status was only available for 16 percent of cases reported nationally.
Through its "Lost on the Frontline" project, KHN and The Guardian aim to record the death of every healthcare employee in the U.S., including clinicians, paramedics, nursing home workers, administrators and custodial staff.
"The nationwide database we create will allow us to identify patterns and find new stories about the unfolding pandemic and its impact on healthcare workers, shedding light on the workings, and failings, of the healthcare system," The Guardian wrote.
The publication noted the database may never be fully comprehensive due to the project's scope and number of healthcare worker categories included, but said it "will function as an imperfect work in progress — and grow over time."