With women holding 76 percent of U.S. healthcare jobs, experts are concerned they could be disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic, CNBC reports.
In a March 18 "CNBC Make It" report, author Courtney Connley cited early studies from China that found men are more likely than woman to die from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. But she said some experts wonder if women are at greater risk of contracting the disease in the U.S.
U.S. Census Bureau data shows American women hold 76 percent of healthcare jobs and account for more than 85 percent of the nursing workforce.
Nancy Nielsen, former president of the American Medical Association, told CNBC it's important to understand "healthcare workers are at risk, and they need to be protected with protective gear to prevent infection."
Ms. Nielsen said there have already been "tragic deaths among healthcare professionals, both doctors and nurses, abroad."
Women are also overwhelmingly the primary caretaker in their families, the CNBC report stated, and are balancing demanding work and home lives.
Ms. Nielsen told Ms. Connley: "These women [in healthcare roles] also have responsibility to take care of parents, who are older, and school-aged children. So, their lives are enormously impacted by worrying about elderly relatives and by school closures."
Read the full article here.
More articles on workforce issues:
Ohio hospitals target workers laid off from service industry jobs
States with paid sick leave, paid family leave policies
Nursing groups meet with Trump over coronavirus