More than 250 healthcare workers in Southern and Western states died of COVID-19 and its complications this summer as the virus surged in those areas, according to a tally from Kaiser Health News and The Guardian.
The deaths occurred in June, July, August and September, and most were in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas, the news organizations found.
Kaiser Health News and The Guardian have been tracking healthcare worker COVID-19 deaths as part of their "Lost on the Frontline" project. As of Oct. 1, 280 healthcare worker deaths were under investigation by the news organizations. The organizations also have published profiles of 224 of those healthcare workers whose deaths have been independently confirmed based on data collected from family members, friends and colleagues of those who died, unions, media reports and other sources.
Of the 224 workers whose profiles have been published, eight nationwide were younger than 30, and about one-third of the deaths involved concerns about inadequate personal protective equipment, according to Kaiser Health News and The Guardian.
Read more about the project here.