The Human Cost of COVID-19
Debra Ragoonanan, a nursing assistant at a Massachusetts veterans home, suffered a brain aneurysm, highlighting the severe mental and physical toll on health care workers during the pandemic.
Over 3,600 U.S. health care workers died in the pandemic's first year, with many more suffering from illnesses and a sense of abandonment.
Systemic Failures and Future Implications
Investigations revealed inadequate protections for health care workers, including a lack of masks and insufficient response to complaints about unsafe conditions.
The plight of low-wage health care workers, predominantly women and often immigrants or people of color, underscores systemic issues of inequality and the need for stronger labor protections.