News Release
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Nearly One in Four Workers are at High
Risk of Serious Illness with COVID-19, Posing Challenges for Employers as
They Reopen
A
new KFF analysis finds nearly one in four workers (24%)
are considered at high risk of serious illness if they get infected by the
novel coronavirus, highlighting the challenges that businesses, public
offices and other employers face as they move toward reopening.
The
analysis estimates 37.7 million workers (based on their work status in 2018)
are at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19. This includes 10
million who are at least 65 years old and an additional 27.7 million who have
pre-existing medical conditions that the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) says put people at higher risk for severe illness from
COVID-19. Many of these people may be out of work right now or working
remotely, but would be at greater risk if they had to return to in-person
work.
“As
an employer, I know that employers are largely on their own to develop
policies to reopen safely,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said. “These
data suggest employers should take into account the higher risk some workers
will face, allowing them to work at home where possible, to be tested and to
minimize their risks if they return to work.”
The
analysis also estimates that 12 million more at-risk adults who do not work
themselves live in households with workers. For this group, indirect exposure
could be just as serious of a risk as going to work themselves.
The
estimates are based on KFF’s analysis of data from the 2018 National Health
Interview Survey (NHIS). Workers deemed at high risk based on the CDC’s
criteria include those who are at least 65 years old, as well as those with
diabetes, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, a
body mass index above 40, or have a functional limitation related to cancer.
More
data, analysis, polling and journalism related to the COVID-19 epidemic is
available at kff.org.
Filling
the need for trusted information on national health issues, KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation)
is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.
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Monday, June 15, 2020
Nearly 1 in 4 Workers are at High Risk of Serious Illness with COVID-19, Posing Challenges for Employers
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