The Impact of COVID-19 on Nurses

I am Dying to Take Care of You…

Part 1: Personal Stories of Nurses Who Died from COVID-19

Mary C. Vrtis, Ph.D., MSN, RN, OCN, NEA-BC, FCN

August 20, 2025

Introduction

Throughout the world, nurses became ill with healthcare acquired COVID-19 infections and many lost their lives while caring for patients and patients’ families during this unprecedented pandemic. In the U.S. and most of the rest of the world, nurses were unable to obtain adequate supplies of respiratory and personal protective equipment (PPE) and thus provided patient care at great personal risk to themselves and their own families. From March 2020 well through March 2021, nurses and other healthcare workers cared for patients despite getting sick with COVID-19 infections. Countless nurses stopped going home until they could do so without carrying the risk of transmitting the infection to their families and loved ones.

Very few of the patients who became critically ill with this infection would have survived if not for the commitment and dedication of nurses and other healthcare workers in acute as well as post-acute settings. Unfortunately, the consequences of caring for patients with COVID-19 infections were devastating to many nurses and their colleagues from other disciplines.

There is NO DOUBT that the healthcare providers who died frequently put patients first, and no doubt that they were heroes whose life was lost prematurely. But as these stories show, every one of the nurses lost to COVID-19 had a life, had people they loved and that loved them. They had plans for the future. They would not have planned to leave their children to fend for themselves or planned to leave their spouses to struggle with the sudden new role of single parent. And most likely, they would not have chosen to die alone, without the comfort of their loved ones.

Nurses are committed to providing the best possible care for their patients. Every day they put patient needs over their own, be it in smaller ways like waiting to meet their own basic needs to eat when hungry, hydrate when dehydrated, and even to urinate when their bladder is full. Or by dying after taking care of others with a deadly infection.

Society has a responsibility to take care of nurses and other healthcare providers. What happened in this pandemic was unacceptable and can never happen again.

A Lack of Accurate Official Information

As complete and accurate records of nurse deaths due to COVID-19 DO NOT EXIST, we are dependent upon information supplied to organizations that created tributes for those lost. There are several sites that list those lost to COVID-19 from information submitted by family members, colleagues, and friends of the deceased nurse. Several organizations created beautiful tributes to nurses lost to COVID-19.

Tributes are beautiful, but not enough. We need a complete and accurate accounting of nurses who become infected and/or die from any type of health care acquired infection. Those records need to be continuously updated! And we need this information for all clinical staff recorded accurately for every infectious organism that our nurses face.

If the U.S. government cannot manage to keep track of nurses and other healthcare providers that become infected and/ or die, there is no reason that nurse leaders cannot decide how to track what happened. Perhaps tracking could be done through employee health.

For the first year of the pandemic, the Guardian and Kaiser Health News used multiple sources to identify healthcare providers who died as a result of COVID-19 infections. Each case was meticulously investigated and verified by a team of at least 100 investigative reporters who also interviewed friends and family members if possible. Pictures accompany the story of each clinician that was written and published on the site, Lost on the Frontline https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database. See additional information about this effort below.

We used the Guardian/ Kaiser Health News database as a launch pad to write the stories of those nurses identified here. We also tried to find at least one additional published article about the nurse whose life was extinguished by this deadly virus. In some cases that was not possible.

Inadequate Respiratory Protection and Nurse Deaths, March-April 2020

The modes of human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 were airborne, droplet, and contact. Therefore, respiratory protection with an N95 respirator or equivalent (KN95) or a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) was essential, especially for close contact with patients and during aerosolizing procedures. Gowns, gloves, and face shields were also needed to prevent the virus from spreading through direct and indirect contact and splashes.

Lack of adequate supplies of respiratory and PPE, probably the most significant contributing factor in healthcare acquired COVID-19 deaths. There was a severe shortage of N95 respirators and face masks in all settings worldwide, but in the U.S., this was an extremely dangerous situation, especially in long term care.

On March 20, 2020, four days before nurses started dying, guidance from the New Jersey Department of Health instructed that personal protective equipment for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infections, was to include an N95 respirator, or a face mask if no N95 was available, or if neither was available to wear a gown and eye protection. Although New Jersey guidance indicated that these were for splashes and sprays, gowns and eye protection provided little, if there was any respiratory protection from this airborne virus.                                                            

Given the contingency plans for lack of N95 respirators and face masks, it is obvious from this document, sent to New Jersey long term care facilities on March 20, 2020, that respiratory protection of any type was not consistently available to healthcare providers during the first wave of COVID-19 in New Jersey and New York, but inadequate supplies of PPE was a concern across the nation.

“A policy for when HCP should use Standard, Droplet, and Contact Precautions for residents with symptoms of respiratory infection unless the suspected diagnosis requires Airborne Precautions (e.g., tuberculosis).

Implementing and/or maintaining a respiratory hygiene program throughout the facility.”

New Jersey Department of Health (2020, March 20). Recommendations for long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/NCOV/NJDOH_Recommendations_For_LTC-COVID19_3_20_2020.108137.pdf

Also see chapter A Global Shortage of Personal Protective Equipment.

In Their Memory

We sought to find out more about all of the nurses listed that died in March of 2020 and some who died in April or later within the first year of COVID-19. We included several nurses who had written about in the mainstream media after they died. Every nurse that the Guardian/ Kaiser Health News team identified and wrote about counts. The purpose of this exploration into their lives was to expand on what was written, not to duplicate the database.

We strongly encourage our readers to click on the link below to get a fuller picture.

Guardian/ Kaiser Health News. Lost on the Frontline https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database.

The First Fourteen Recorded U.S. Nurse Deaths, March 24 to April 1 of 2020

MaryBeth Papetti, RN

As Director of Nursing, CareOne at Livington Assisted Living, in New Jersey. MaryBeth worked in long term care in New Jersey. She was one of the first two nurses known have died from COVID-19 in the United States. New Jersey and New York City are geographically very close together and both were considered COVID-19 hotspots in March and April of 2020.

MaryBeth was a 65-year-old registered nurse who served as Director of Nursing for several long-term care settings over the course of her career.. She was a hospital-based LPN when she started her career and continued her education and earned an RN. With her new status she moved to long-term care. Her obituary states: “MaryBeth was known for going above and beyond in her career, not only because of her dedication to her patients, but also for being an inspirational role model to her colleagues as well.” “MaryBeth’s infectious smile and laugh were contagious and memorable.”

It is not known where MaryBeth was infected, but the assisted living facility where she was Director of Nursing had 39 cases in residents and staff reported and 15 deaths.  According to her son, Scott, she had pulmonary fibrosis, which, of course, increased her risk for infection. She took care with her appearance and most people did not know she had an illness, “she always looked tremendous,” he told the Guardian/ Kaiser Health News reporter.

Short of breath with a fever, MaryBeth was hospitalized March 12 and remained there until she passed away on March 24, 2020.  Her husband of 34 years, Cesare and son Scott, as well as many other family members and friends were left behind when she died of a COVID-19 infection on March 24, 2020.

MaryBeth Papetti Obituary (2020). https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/northjersey/name/marybeth-papetti-obituary?id=8985943

Hassan, L. (2021). Lost on the frontline. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Kious Kelly, RN

Kious was the well respected Assistant Nurse Manager of a telemetry unit at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City. Hi was the first known death of a New York City RN. His death occurred on March 24, 2020. Kious Kelly, a 48-year-old, succumbed to the virus within days of testing positive for COVID-19. When his test confirmed that he was positive, he texted his sister in Michigan. He asked her not to tell his parents to prevent worry, and that was the last communication to family. His last communication, also via text said “I can’t talk because I choke. I love you. I’m going back to sleep.”

Kelly came to New York City as a dancer and his first career during his 20’s and 30’s was in ballet. He told his sister, Marya Sherrod that he was interested in pursuing a nursing degree, which he completed at New York University.

His nurse colleagues cited inadequate protective equipment as the cause of his death. He was well liked because he cared about how his colleagues were doing and often carried candy for when someone was having a tough shift.

Blackman, J. (2020, March 27). Heartbreaking final text to sister from NYC nurse who treated COVID-19. NBC News 4, New York. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/heartbreaking-final-text-to-sister-from-nyc-nurse-who-treated-covid-19-patients/2347448/

Sengupta, S., 2020, March 26. A N.Y. nurse dies. Angry co-workers blamed the lack of adequate protective gear. New York Times. https://nytimes.com/2020/03/26/nyregion/nurse-dies-coronavirus-mount-sinai.html

New York State Nurses’ Association, COVID memorial 2021. https://www.nysna.org/in-memoriam-fallen-nysna-nurses.

Renwick, D. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Theresa Lococo, RN

Theresa was a 68-year-old pediatric nurse for nearly 48 years at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. She loved her patients and “had to be forced to take her vacation days,” her daughter Lisa told the interviewer. Her supervisor encouraged her to go home days before she died due to nausea and a cough, she was never tested for COVID-19, but they had a lot of patients with the virus.

When daughter Lisa called her mom on March 27, 2020, Theresa’s son was already calling 911 because their mom was in the midst of a seizure. She died that same day. Her daughter said: “She always put others first.” “She always put herself last.”

Members of the New York State Nurses Association who knew Theresa well, as she had been an NYSNA member “serving patients in New York City’s public hospital system since 1972.” Theresa was described as a hard-working nurse, a mentor, and patient advocate.

Another colleague Norma Wilson wrote: “As a new graduate, I had the pleasure of working with Lococo (we called each other only by last names at work). Lococo always had the biggest smile, no matter how busy the pediatric units were. She was loved by all.”

Another colleague “I had the honor or working with Theresa Lococo for the 41 years at Kings County Hospital. We worked together in Pediatrics during my first years, and she was a mentor, teaching me the ropes.” “She always spoke with pride and love… a hard-working nurse who was one of the best. She will be missed.”

NYSNA (2021). In Memoriam: Fallen NYSNA Nurses. https://www.nysna.org/in-memoriam-fallen-nysna-nurses?link_id=16&can_id=082eaf0e96fca1e66d9119410bdf186d&source=email-rumc-virtual-lbu-mtg-june-1&email_referrer=email_817715&email_subject=nysna-covid-19-update-may-29

Luthra, S. (2021). Lost on the frontline. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Arcelia Buendia Ilagan, RN

Arcelia Iligan was an ICU RN for 33 years at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. She died of COVID-19 on March 27, 2020. It is not known whether she had adequate respiratory and personal protective equipment or not, but she was definitely caring for patients with COVID-19 infections. Four days before Arcelia died, she was advising her nurse niece Jhoanna, who was then a nurse in London, on how to stay safe while caring for patients with COVID-19 infections. Arcelia dld not mention having an illness or infection during this conversation.

Arcelia immigrated long ago, but remained very close to her family in the Philippines and Arcelia was the person who encouraged Jhoanna to become a nurse. She mentored her niece long distance when she needed help in understanding the more difficult courses, such as anatomy and physiology. They had a very tight bond.

Araceli started to have symptoms on Tuesday, March 24, and went home to self-isolate. At the age of 63, she died alone, on March 27, 2020. Her family, proud of her dedication to nursing and how heroic she was, posted tributes on Facebook. Her niece Raeyanna Buendia wrote, “your sacrifices to save patients is most appreciated and very much valued.”

On March 24, 2020, in an email verified by Kaiser Health News, the staff at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia was informed that neither they nor patients were allowed to wear personal protective equipment at the facility because it violated the “dress code.” Clearly the facility did not supply any respiratory protection or other PPE.

“We have had staff arrive to work with their own personal protective equipment that was not authorized,” the Human Resources Manager had sent in email.

Mark died on March 27^th, and his COVID-19 test arrived as positive after his death. Unfortunately, 86 staff and 32 patients at the facility tested positive for COVID-19.

The facility PPE ban was lifted on March 30^th when another official wrote: “There is no ban on commercially available PPE if an employee has it and wants to wear it.” It still appears the facility did not accept any responsibility for supplying PPE despite the high case count and at least one death.

Leigh Ann Lewis, her daughter, described how her neighbors honored her. As her casket was driven to the graveyard where she would be laid to rest, people came out of homes, businesses, and churches holding signs that said they were praying for Barbara, “we love you,” and ”Hugs.” Balloons were sent heavenward by hospital employees.

Leigh Ann told the reporter: “It seemed like, in our area, she knew everybody – either she worked with them, or they were a patient of hers at some point… It was a very, very large outpour of love and comfort and solidarity.”

Barbara became ill on the 17^th of March. She died on March 29, 2020. She was 63 years old. She is survived by two sons, her daughter Leigh Ann, and grandchildren.

Bailey, M. (2021). Lost on the frontline. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Nicanor Baltazar, RN

Nick was a nurse for 40 years and was planning to retire after two more years. He worked at Long Island Care Center in Flushing, New York. He was a great mentor and one of the things he was admired for was his ability to help new nurses learn their roles and responsibilities. He was said to have boundless energy.

Nick loved to sing, and he brought a karaoke machine to the nursing home to entertain the residents. He worked hard to remain healthy by walking to work and exercising twice a day. He and his wife, Grace, had a huge garden and shared the bounty with friends and coworkers.

He developed a cough and fever on March 20, 2020, and was unable to go to a hospital because there were no open beds. He tested positive for COVID-19. He died on March 31, 2020, at the age of 60. He left behind Grace, his wife, and his daughter Abigail, who was at the time studying to be a nurse.

His ethnicity was stated to be Asian/ Pacific Islander.

Mufson, N. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Lisa Ewald, RN

Lisa Ewald was a 53-year-old registered nurse who had worked in the emergency room at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. She was one of the first U.S. RNs to die of COVID-19. Her niece, Carly Ewald described her as “lighting up the ER,” as she was always laughing and making other people laugh.”

After exposure to a patient who tested positive for COVID-19 without wearing respiratory protection in early March, Lisa asked to be tested. Her request was denied. Her symptoms worsened with high fevers, severe body aches, and cough. Lisa asked to be tested again, a request that was also denied. She expressed concerns about inadequate PPE to others.

When she developed symptoms of loss of smell and taste, the testing decision maker finally agreed to test Lisa. The test came back positive on March 30, and she went home to self-isolate. When she failed to respond to phone calls, or emails after Tuesday March 31, 2020, her neighbor and a hospital employee found Lisa Ewald dead. Like so many other nurses, Lisa went home to isolate herself and died all alone. She would have turned 54 years old that week, but instead she was one of the first nurses to die in April of 2020.

Lisa’s niece Carly expressed anger about the situation. There was no evidence that Lisa had been given any instructions about returning to ER or the hospital. “It’s important that there’s more testing available to people, and more support for people [on the front lines] that have to deal with those who have it – because they can’t stay home. We need to have more respect for those nurses and doctors, but also they need to be getting tested constantly. They should be getting masks and gloves, but they should also be getting their temperatures checked daily, and I know a few places that are doing that.”

Jessica Toth, Lisa’s friend added: “Her middle name was Joy… And that really describes her as a person. I want something good to come of this. She would want to save lives. I mean, that’s why she chose to be a nurse.”

Svachula, A. (2020, April 8). I lost my best friend to COVID-19. A beloved nurse died after contracting the virus. Her niece and best friend share her story. Katie Couric Media. https://katiecouric.com/covid-19/i-lost-my-best-friend-to-covid-19/

Bailey, L. (2022). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

James House, nurse

James was a 40-year-old nurse whose death left five children without a father. He had a fascination with learning and his goal was to go back to school to become a physician’s assistant. He loved anatomy and physiology which his sister Catrisha attributed to time spent in the unit during their dad’s dialysis treatments.

He worked at Omni Continuing Care in Detroit, Michigan.

He started with flu-like symptoms in mid-March and tried to get tested but could not because his symptoms were not classic. When he returned to work on March 31, 2020, he was hospitalized after collapsing. After texting family that he was going to be intubated, communication from his side ended. He died on March 31, 2020. Renwick, D. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Jeff Baumbach, RN

Jeff and his wife, Karen, were both nurses. Jeff was an employee of Kaiser Permanente, but worked at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Stockton, California. Having been a critical care nurse for so long, Jeff was initially not concerned about the new virus. Karen was quoted as saying: “He was exposed to so many things, and we never got anything.” They started to become a little more concerned while in New York City to help move one of their children into an apartment in mid-March. Local businesses were starting to shut down and a lot of people were ill.

After they returned to California, Jeff and Karen started to have symptoms with body aches and congestion. Both tested positive for COVID-19. Then Jeff started to have a fever and a cough. On March 26, he was diagnosed with pneumonia in the ER. He preferred to go back home.

The situation changed very quickly on March 31, 2020, when he collapsed. “It went downhill really fast,” Karen told the interviewer. She was not allowed in the hospital building, so she sat in her car outside, waiting for someone to tell her something about his condition.

His daughter Kaila was also in the hospital parking lot in a different car. Kaila had moved out of the family home when both her mom and dad tested positive for COVID-19. Kaila had not talked to her dad while he was ill. “I thought he was invincible,” she told the interviewer.

Karen took Jeff to the hospital where she worked, so she was allowed to put on protective equipment and say a brief goodbye to him in person. Jeff died on March 31, 2020, at the age of 57. He left behind four adult children and a loving wife. 

Karen, still in self-quarantine, was grieving alone at home when Karen’s mom, Sharleen called to tell her to “look outside.” Long lines of cars that contained friends and family were going by slowly and using their smart phone flashlights for Karen to see. Kaila had contacted family and friends to set up this virtual wake/ visitation.

“Filled with grief and gratitude, Karen cried as she peered out of an upstairs window at the glittering lines of cars crawling in both directions past her home.”

Jewett, C. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database CBS News Sacramento (2020, April 4, 2020). Family mourns the loss Stockton nurse who died of Coronavirus.https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/family-mourning-the-loss-of-stockton-nurse-who-died-of-covid-19/

The First Fourteen (continued), Nurses and Retirement, March 14 to April 1, 2020

Divina “Debbie” Accand, RN

“Debbie” was a 72-year-old nurse clinical coordinator who died of COVID-19 on March 30, 2020. She had planned to retire in April. She contracted the infection on March 16 with diarrhea and a fever. Briefly she felt better a few days later but developed pneumonia and deteriorated quickly. Others may have left their position and retired early as more information about the deadly novel SARS-CoV-2 virus was available but based on all that her family shared about her commitment to her patients and her profession, it is doubtful that she would have taken those last few days off.

As her son Mark Accad said: “She died doing what she loved most….that was caring for people.” He also said that though she was a nursing supervisor she stepped in to help care for patients whenever she was needed.

After she graduated in with a bachelor’s degree in nursing in the Philippines in 1969, she immigrated to the U.S. through a “fly now, pay later” program and was employed in Chicago where there was a serious nurse shortage. Debbie later moved to Taylor, Michigan, married her husband William, and they raised four children.

Her bonds with family in the Philippines remained strong and she sent money to family there regularly. She also paid for her niece’s nursing degree. The niece, April Amada, spoke of how difficult it was for her Filipino family members to know that their matriarch was dying thousands of miles away.

For the prior 25 years, Debbie worked at the Detroit Veteran’s Administration. At the end of March, eight staff members had died system wide in the VA. A VA spokesperson was quoted as saying that 1,100 people were being quarantined and that Veteran’s Administration immediately isolated employees, visitors, or veterans if they were at risk (Bailey, 2020).

Other documentation from that time period shows that the staff at this facility did not consistently have adequate amounts of PPE and other supplies. Senator Gary Peters (Michigan D. (Michigan, D.) demanded a response from the Veteran’s Administration regarding inadequate distribution of PPE at the Detroit VA Hospital where Debbie spent her entire career (Peters, 2020, May 29).

Bailey, M. (2021). Lost on the frontline. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Bailey, M. (2020, April 15). On the eve of retirement, VA nurse succumbs to COVID-19. Kaiser Health News. https://asianjournal.com/usa/midwest/on-the-eve-of-retirement-va-nurse-succumbs-to-covid-19/

Peters, G. (2020, May 29). Peters presses Department of Veteran Affairs on PPE availability at Dingell VA Medical Center. https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-presses-department-of-veterans-affairs-on-ppe-availability-at-dingell-va-medical-center-in-detroit

Noel Sinkiat, RN

Noel was planning for a lot of motorcycle time with friends as he planned his retirement for December 2020. He never made it to retirement. After immigrating from the Philippines in some 41 years ago, he spent most of his career at Howard University Hospital in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC.

Noel became ill on March 12 and went to urgent care due to flu-like symptoms. He improved but then on March 27^th, he deteriorated rapidly. He went into cardiac and respiratory failure – was intubated but could not be resuscitated.

Noel was 64 years old when he died on March 27, 2020. His wife, who was also symptomatic, took him to the hospital in mid-March. Both were tested, and both were positive, but the results were of little help to Noel. He was dead before the results came back.

Renwick, D. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Randall. (2020, April 4). Another FilAm registered nurse falls to the coronavirus. AsAm News. https://asamnews.com/2020/04/04/filipino-american-nurse-in-washington-dc-dies-of-coronavirus-first-membero-of-national-nurses-united-to-die/

Rosary Celaya Castro-Olega, RN

Rosary was another nurse who ran toward the fire to care for very sick patients. She had retired from her position at Cedars Mount Sinai in Los Angeles, California in 2017. She worked at the hospital for 37 years. After “retirement,” she continued nursing and accepted shifts at various hospitals when she was able to help. When not working, she wanted to travel the globe.

She was scheduled for a cruise in March 2020, but it was cancelled due to COVID-19. When nurses at Los Angeles County hospitals were scrambling to care for the sudden influx of patients with COVID-19 infections, she volunteered to help as needed. Within that week she sought care at an ER as she was running a fever with a cough and tested positive for COVID-19. The next day she was intubated and on a ventilator.

Rosary was hospitalized at Panorama City Medical center in mid-March and spent her last days on a ventilator. She was 63 when she died on March 29, 2020. “Los Angeles’ mayor, Eric Garcetti, named her as the first healthcare worker to die of Covid-19 in LA county.” California nurses were begging for enough PPE to do their jobs safely through the National Nurses United union (https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/).

“She was more than a nurse. She was more than a mom to me and my sisters. She was pretty much a mom to everyone, whether it was to her own sisters, brothers, or my friends, and took the time to go out and take care of everybody else before herself,” Tiffany said.

Rosary was born in the Los Angeles area, and she identified as Filipino American.

O’Hagan, M. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Oriel, C. M. (2020, May 30), Garcetti honors fallen Pinay nurse who came out of retirement to help LA’s coronavirus. Asian Journal News. https://asianjournal.com/usa/southerncalifornia/garcetti-honors-fallen-pinay-nurse-who-came-out-of-retirement-to-help-las-coronavirus-fight/

Hazel Mijares, RN

Hazel, a nurse and Methodist lay minister was planning to retire in mid-March 2020. She looked forward to traveling to Jerusalem, and the Philippines to see family there.  She was aware that a patient tested positive, and she requested to be tested several times without success.

On her last day of work, she noticed that she was starting with a cough, around March 20^th.  She finally had a test done, date unknown, and went home to self-isolate. When she was found dead at home on March 30, 2020, she was still waiting for the result of the COVID-19 test. She was 66 years old. Hazel was found when her sister received no response by phone. As did other nurses sent home to isolate, she died alone with no one to help her through the worst of it.

Hazel was employed by Amsterdam Nursing in New York. This nursing home already had at least 45 deaths assumed to be COVID-19 identified by May 24, 2020.

O’Hagan, M. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

More Nurses Who Had Planned to Retire or Returned to Fight COVID-19, April 2, 2020, to February 2021

Aleyamma John, RN

Alyemma John’s husband and family really wanted her to retire so she and her husband John could travel. Her son Ginu told the interviewer “I’m sure dad wants to see the world with you – you need to give him that opportunity.”

Aleyamma worked at New York City Health and Hospitals/ Queens Hospital Center.  A nurse for 45 years, she immigrated from India to the United Arab Emirates and came to New York in 2002. Her son Ginu said that she responded to his request to retire saying she “found fulfillment in being able to serve. “She was able to hold people’s hands, you know, even when they were deteriorating and be there for them.”

There was a shortage of PPE, and Aleyamma sent a picture of herself to her family showing that all she had was a facemask and a surgical cap. Not nearly enough for such close interactions with dying patients. She tested positive for COVID-19 when she developed a fever. She quarantined at home. When breathing became very difficult the family called 911 for help,

Her husband, son Ginu, and Ginu’s wife, Elsa, also became infected. The outcomes for her family members are not known. Aleyamma was 65 when she passed away on April 5, 2020.

Renwick, D. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Barbara Birchenough, RN

On March 21, Barbara texted a friend that she only had six more shifts to retire. “Will I make it virus free?” she asked.

By all accounts, Barbara was a kind and loving person who was always concerned about others. She had worked at Clara Maass Medical Center Bellville in Belleville, New Jersey for 46 years. Belleville was also her nursing school.

Barbara was days away from her retirement on April 4, 2020, as she cared for patients who were not tested but were fully displaying the fever and cough of COVID-19 infections. First one floor filled with infected patients and then all four floors became “COVID floors.” Technically these patients had a status of unknown but should at the very least have been treated according to the “under investigation” guidance – which was the same as the guidance at the time for an active case.

Barbara told family members that the hospital was running out of supplies and that the intensive care nurses were making gowns out of large, plastic garbage bags. She asked her husband to buy some for her. She told her family that unless assigned to a COVID-19 unit, the nurses received only one face mask for a 12-hour shift.

Barbara was not able to remain virus free until her retirement date. On March 25, 2020, her symptoms started with a cough, and she tested positive for COVID-19. She never used the garbage bags because she was hospitalized at Clara Maass as a patient instead. Barbara Birchenough died on April 15, 2020. She turned 65 on April 3rd. The pain of her loss was still evident in the faces of her family a year later.

Jewett, C. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Washburn, L (2021, March 10). NJ doesn’t know how many health care workers died of COVI. Why that number is crucial. Northjersey.com. https://www.northjersey.com/in-depth/news/coronavirus/2021/03/10/nj-covid-how-many-health-care-workers-died-coronavirus/6886801002/

Wexler, K. R. (2021, March 10). Nurse remembered by family after losing COVID-19 battle. Northjersey.com. https://www.northjersey.com/picture-gallery/news/bergen/midland-park/2021/03/10/nj-nurse-remembered-family-after-losing-covid-19-battle/3309223001/

Iris Meda, RN

Iris was listed in the Guardian/ KHN database, but the record does not include her story. “Professor Meda” was 70 years old when she volunteered to un-retire and joined the nursing faculty at Collin College, a community college in Allen, Texas. Iris, who loved being a nurse has retired in January of 2020, but she felt it was important to do something when the pandemic struck. Iris was very concerned about what COVID-19 would do to the medical professions. With nursing expertise and many skills, she felt she could pass her knowledge on by teaching nursing students. Her daughter, Selene Meda-Schlamel said that her mom “knew she could not work on the front lines but believed that she could be of service not on the front lines, but in classroom, not realizing that that was still the front lines.” “We knew that she was doing what she loved in teaching.”

Teaching was particularly important to Iris Meda, as she had not finished high school, but later in life completed a GED. After that she continued on, completing a BSN in 1984.

Although she and her students all wore masks in skills lab, as required by the college but the close proximity of working hands on in the lab increased her risk. On October 2, a student in the class was sneezing and coughing, and that student’s PCR test was positive on October 9, 2020. Iris developed symptoms on October 12 and was tested the next day. She died of COVID-19 on November 14, 2020.

Iris Meda was honored by this article in CNN. Her family grieved her as “she was the anchor and now the anchor is gone.”

Ebrahimji, A. (2020, November 25). This 70-year-old left retirement to teach nursing students. She died from COVID-19 three months later. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/18/us/longtime-nurse-dies-covid-trnd/index.html

(2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Bettie Grier Gallaher, RN

Bettie was listed in the Guardian/ KHN database, but the record does not tell her story. Bettie Gallaher was a 78-year-old nurse who spent 50 years of her adult life as a dedicated emergency room nurse. Her last 43 years were spent at Coosa Valley Medical Center in Alabama. Affectionally called “Miss Betty” by the team, she was an excellent nurse and mentor for younger nurses. Friends and colleagues saw her as a “sounding board, personal therapist, and work mom.” She regularly checked in with other staff when they were busy and regularly bought food to make sure staff working 12-hour shifts had something to eat. Her son Carson Grier jr. said, “She didn’t do it to stand out.” “She did it because this is who she was – this is her calling.”

Miss Bettie had considered retirement in 2005 after working as a nursing supervisor in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Instead of retiring, she moved to Alabama to work at Coosa Valley where her good friend Chuck Terrell was Director of the Emergency Department.

When it was evident that a COVID-19 infection could threaten Miss Betty’s life, her colleagues encouraged her to retire. Sadly, she did not agree.

Nursing supervisor Nikki Jo Hatten saw that Bettie was short of breath, and she was admitted to the ICU December 19th. On New Years Eve, she had Terrell use her debit card to buy pizza to say thank you. She died on January 10, 2021, the day before her 79^th birthday.

Before her death, Betty had told Hatten she feared that she would die alone in ICU. Miss Betty’s emergency room family made sure that did not happen.

Andrew, S. (2021, January 18). A nurse for 50 years refused to retire when the pandemic began. She later died of COVID-19. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/18/us/longtime-nurse-dies-covid-trnd/index.html

(2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Nurses in the News Who Died on the Frontline, August 2020 to February 2021

Pam Orlando, RN

Pam Orlando was a 56-year-old nurse at Valley Hospital in New Jersey. She was a patient advocate and educator and wanted others to see the devastation of this disease. She filmed herself daily and documented a visual diary of disease progression. A single mother of two sons, and a veteran of Emergency Rooms. The Inside Edition video about her experience is heart breaking, especially given that her sons did not know about the video diary until they found it on her phone after her death. She died on April 16, 2020.

The Guardian/ Kaiser memorial written by Tommy Nocera, one of the Guardian/ Kaiser investigators reads:

“As an emergency room nurse for more than 30 years, Pamela Orlando was a trusted source of medical advice and comfort for patients, family and friends. In her final days, bedridden and on a ventilator, she was still doing her utmost to care for others.”

“Patients with Covid-19 symptoms began streaming into her emergency room in March, her son Reid Orlando said. ‘She went to work more than ever when this hit to save lives.’ From the onset of symptoms in late March, she kept a video journal detailing the disease’s progression. Knowing my mother, she wanted to show everyone how this virus progressed so they could understand,’ Reid said”.

She is especially missing at Sunday afternoons, when their family came together for dinners.

Inside Edition, a syndicated, televised, news magazine, also helped to tell her story.

Caggiano, E. 2020, April 30. ER nurse who died of COVID-19 documented her fight on camera. Inside Edition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvtReSZr2SQ\).

Nocera, T. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Celia Lardizabal Marcos, RN

Celia Marcos was a telemetry nurse in charge of the telemetry unit at CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. Celia immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in 2001 and worked in the Los Angeles area. She was employed by the hospital since 2004 and was the telemetry charge nurse on April 3, 2020. Telemetry staff monitor electrocardiograms (EKGs) for multiple patients and are glued to the monitors. When a patient suddenly changes heart rhythm or has a cardiac arrest, a code blue or rapid response team will race into the room.

Stories vary, but it appears that the once upon a time one time use, disposable N95 respirators were locked away and Celia and other nurses were provided with a thin face mask at the beginning of their shifts. As was the case with most facilities at the time, N95s were not readily available, and staff were required to use the same respirator for multiple days. 

On April 3, 2020, when one of the patients who was monitored had a respiratory arrest, the team hurried to the room. An experienced nurse, Celia knew that she would need to intubate the patient with an endotracheal tube so that the team could ventilate his lungs manually or with a ventilator. She had a choice to make. Intubate the patient immediately, a task that was known to aerosolize virus present in the airways, or to run around the unit trying to find the person with the key to get an N95 respirator.

The chances of successful resuscitation drop every minute that oxygen and circulation to the brain are interrupted. As nurses so often do, Celia considered the patient’s needs over her own. She intubated the patient wearing a face mask that did not provide her with adequate respiratory protection. Hospital representatives denied the lack of PPE, but other nurses who requested anonymity confirmed that there were not enough PPE, but changes in the CDC recommendations at that time allowed a face mask to be worn if no N95 was available.

Celia’s symptoms started on April 11^th with a headache and dyspnea. On April 15^th, in a video call to her son, Donald, they both cried when she let him know she had developed pneumonia in both lungs. On April 17, 2020, Celia Marcos died.

Described as a healthy woman with controlled hypertension and no other comorbidities, she was 61 years old. She lived with her partner and her son. Many of her colleagues were deeply affected by her loss. Her extended family in the Philippines mourned her as well.

Coworkers told the interviewer (Karmalangla): “At the Los Angeles hospital, she was known for her sweet nature and ability to heal rifts and remain cool-headed, no matter the situation. Filipino colleagues called her ‘ate’ — big sister in Tagalog.

“’She’s the type of person who in an emergency you can really count on,’ said another colleague, who also asked for anonymity for fear of retaliation. ‘She’s the calm that we can look to in order to get through.’”

Karlamangla, S. (2020, May 10). A nurse without an N95 mask raced in to treat a “code blue” patient. She died 14 days later. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-10/nurse-death-n95-covid-19-patients-coronavirus-hollywood-presbyterian

Oriel, C. M. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Ali Dennis Guillermo, RN

Ali, a former nursing instructor, worked as an ICU nurse at Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchgue. His friend and colleague, Carmelo Espiritu described him as follows: “His expertise as an ICU, stepdown, medical-surgical and emergency room RN was exceptional for he’d always be willing to help and assist the team whenever and wherever. He’d make the busiest work nights lighter with his jokes and songs.”

Ali was also a dad of three and had immigrated from the Philippines to give his children more opportunities. His wife Romielyn worried about the risks of exposure to the virus, but Ali reassured her. He also said he had to “take care of his patients.” His wife told the interviewer that Ali was not afraid.

In March he was achy with a fever of 102. He was taking care of intensive care patients with COVID-19 infections, and other nurses had become infected. Within a few days, when his oxygen saturation dropped dramatically and his nail beds turned blue, he asked Romielyn to take him to the ER. Guillermo was intubated and, on a ventilator, and the family was never able to see him again.

His wife’s fear came to fruition, as Guillermo died on April 7, 2020, in the ICU where he worked so many years. He was 44 years old. Denice Guillermo, his daughter, said that her father wanted to make a life good for his children and that he worked hard to do so. His wife, one daughter, and two sons were left behind. “He was such a lovely and good father,” his wife told one interviewer.

(2020, April 11). Coronavirus News: Long Island nurse dies after contracting COVID-19. ABC channel 7. https://abc7ny.com/coronavirus-long-island-news-nassau-county-update/6095774/

Andrews, M. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Karla Dominguez, RN

Karla worked in the pediatric ICU at Providence Children’s Hospital in El Paso, Texas for approximately five years. As a child, Karla wanted to be a physician, like her dad, Carlos Dominquez. Medical school did not happen, so she studied to become a nurse. When medical school was brought up later, Karla said that she preferred to remain a nurse because she could spend more time with her patients than she would be able to as a doctor.

Her dad said she loved her work and that it gave her joy. She enjoyed working with “her kids,” even when she felt challenged with children that had complex medical issues. She would not call in sick for most of her career because she understood how important her nursing care was.

Beginning around April 1^st, Karla started having severe, migraine-like headaches that were constant. This was not a well-known COVID-19 symptom at the time but is reported as a symptom often now. Karla sought help from several medical facilities in late March and April but received no answers. She asked to be tested for COVID-19 more than once, and her requests were denied because she did not have typical symptoms. She could not return to work in April.

On April 7^th she went to the ER at Providence and was finally tested for COVID-19, she was positive. Her parents also tested, and her dad was negative, but her mom was positive. Her mom, Maria Dominquez, was a certified nursing assistant and worked at Del Sol Medical Center. Maria was totally asymptomatic.

The hospital said that Karla had not been assigned to any children with COVID-19, but there was, at that time, increasing evidence that children could pass the virus on without being symptomatic themselves. It is unknown where Karla was infected, but there were multiple possibilities, including from her mom. Whether from a patient. from her mom, or from someone else, Karla’s condition continued to get worse.

Karla was transferred to the COVID-19 unit at Providence. At some point CT imaging showed hemorrhaging in her brain. Karla died in the hospital where she worked on April 19, 2020, at the age of 33.

Kapp, S. (2020, April 29). A virtual memorial held for El Paso nurse Karla Dominguez. KTSM.com. https://www.ktsm.com/news/virtual-memorial-planned-wednesday-night-for-nurse-who-died-after-testing-positive-for-covid-19/

Kolenc, V. (2020, April 23). El Paso nurse’s headache eventually led to positive COVID-19 test days before she died. El Paso Times. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2020/04/23/el-paso-nurse-covid-19-sought-medical-help-for-headaches-before-death/3007779001/

O’Hagan, M. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Brittany Bruno-Ringo, nurse

Brittany worked at Silverado Beverly Place in Los Angeles, California. She worked in the dementia care center. Brittany was already concerned because at least some of the staff had been told not to use respiratory and personal protective equipment “for fear of frightening the patients.” The facility denies this, and a representative said that there were no restrictions on PPE.

The facility was in lockdown as there were no cases of COVID-19 until a new resident, a physician from New York City, was transferred in. Brittany admitted him, as instructed, without wearing a mask or gloves, and during her assessment she noted symptoms of COVID-19. She began to have symptoms including a cough and runny nose within days. The new patient was tested and COVID-19 was confirmed.

Brittany immediately went into self-quarantine at a hotel to protect her roommate from possible infection and remained there until her mom realized she was in respiratory distress while on the phone. Brittany’s Mom, Kim Bruner-Ringo, called the hotel for help in contacting emergency services.

Brittany was admitted to Harbor UCLA Medical Center where she remained on a ventilator until April 20^th. A power outage in the unit at UCLA affected Brittany’s ventilator on that date and she had a cardiac arrest. She could not be resuscitated.

After the patient from New York was admitted, thirteen residents and Brittany Bruno-Ringo died. Another 97 staff and residents were infected. Brittany’s parents filed suits against Silverado and UCLA.

Brittany Bruno-Ringo died on April 20, 2020, at the age of 32. She should have had much more time to pursue her dreams.

Bonvissuto, K. (2020, December 16). Staffer died because resident wasn’t properly screened, lawsuit alleges. McKnight’s Senior Living. https://www.mcknightsseniorliving.com/news/staffer-died-because-resident-wasnt-properly-screened-lawsuit-alleges/

(2020, December 12). Parents of nurse sue memory care facility over coronavirus death. Patch City Service. https://patch.com/california/los-angeles/parents-nurse-sue-memory-care-facility-over-coronavirus-death#xd_co_f=NmQ1ODljZDItOTRjZS00YmQzLTkzODYtYThmMzI0ZjA5OTgz~

Varney, S. (2020, May 14). COVID-19 Lost on the frontlines: Even on the saddest day…She could make you laugh. Kaiser Health News. https://lasentinel.net/even-on-the-saddest-day-she-could-make-you-laugh.html

COVID-19 Deaths of Pregnant Nurses

Several studies have shown that pregnant women are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 infections than women who were not pregnant. The largest study was conducted using data from the CDC’s COVID-19 surveillance system, which had more than 400,000 people of reproductive age who were or had symptomatic COVID-19.

Pregnant women were three times more likely to require ICU admission, and the need for a ventilator, as well as cardiac and pulmonary support with an ECMO machine. Pregnant women were also more likely to die than women who were not pregnant. There are changes that occur in the immune system, and cardiac and pulmonary adjustments that occur during pregnancy  may be factors. The increased severity may extend to the postpartum period.

So far, it is not clear if pregnant women are or are not at higher risk for a COVID-19 infection.  Vaccination is highly recommended and reduces risk for mother and baby. The vaccines are safe and effective.

Rasmussen, S. J., & Jamieson, D. J. (2022). COVID-19 and pregnancy. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America, 36, 2: 423-433. Doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2022.01.002. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35636908/

Unfortunately, at the time of their deaths, these women did not know that the vaccines were safe for the fetus. There was a delay in FDA approval for an emergency use authorization. The nurses had delayed vaccination while the recommendations were not clear.

Kiara D’Leesa Anderson McDade, nurse

Kiara was a young nurse who worked for Manor Care Health Services – Palos Heights West in Palos Heights, Illinois, a skilled nursing facility. She and her newlywed husband Juwan McDade were expecting their first child when Kiara became ill. She was two months pregnant when she contracted COVID-19, and the disease progressed very quickly.

Juwan McDade described a first-person account of his life with Kiara that was published in the Chicago Reader. Juwan believed their relationship was heaven-sent. He described how they had grown from childhood to adulthood as members of the same church. They began dating when he was 17 and were married in May of 2019. “I never thought ‘until death do us part’ for me would come so early.” “She held a very special place in my heart. It’ll be a long time before I’m alright.”

When Juwan brought Kiara home from work on March 15^th she collapsed on the bed. She had asthma but she was wheezing in a way that he’d never heard before. He had to help her change into her pajamas, and even to get to the bathroom. She was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia. She was not tested for COVID-19 before being sent home to recuperate.

Post hospitalization she was less short of breath and able to walk without dizziness. Kiara was doing well until April 26, 2020. After watching some movies with Kiara, Juwan went out for a walk. When he returned home, he found that Kiara had died. The 911 operator coached him through CPR until emergency medical services arrived.

Kiara could not be resuscitated. She was only 25 when she and her two-month-old fetus died. Her COVID-19 test results arrived after her death and confirmed that she had been infected.

Dukmasova, M.; Cardoza, K., and Harvey, M. (2020, August 19). The toll of coronavirus. The Chicago Reader. https://chicagoreader.com/news/the-toll-of-coronavirus/

Megas, N. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Ashley Gornick-Gomez, RN

Ashley, a 30-year-old nurse and pregnant mom of six children, developed COVID-19 symptoms at the end of December 2020. She worked in Van Nuys, California as an Administrator and Head Nurse at two nursing homes. Blooming Rose Garden and Eve’s Garden, she also provided care as a frontline nurse. She was 37 weeks pregnant when she contracted COVID-19.

While already a mother of three young children, she put herself through nursing school. She had two more children after she completed school.

Ashley’s husband, Wilber Gomez told the interviewer that she was very careful and “She gowned up from head to toe.” Despite the precautions, she began feeling ill in mid-December. “There are no words to describe her besides superwoman.”

Ashley initially tried to care for herself at home, told her mother she did not want to create more work and overload the local hospital staff, but her respiratory status deteriorated rapidly, and she was hospitalized. Shortly thereafter, her son Corey was delivered by C-section.  Ashley saw a picture of Corey but was never able to touch him while in isolation. By the next day, she required intubation and a ventilator, but it did not help. Her aunt speaks of how she was near death within hours.

Within two weeks of becoming infected, apparently through asymptomatic transmission as she did not know she had been in contact with anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, Ashely Gomez was dead. She left a devastated family, including her husband, six children, her mom, and her aunt. She died at the age of 30 on January 3, 2021.

Cabrera, T., 2021, January 6. Northridge nurse and mother of six dies from COVID-19 shortly after giving birth. ABC 7 Eyewitness News. https://abc7.com/northridge-nurse-dies-from-covid-covid-19-covid19/9389472/

Chevalier, Z. (2021). Lost on the frontlines. The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Mary Agyapong, nurse

A somewhat different situation occurred at Luton and Dunstable Hospital in London, England, when a pregnant nurse, Mary Agyapong, who later died of COVID-19 “felt pressured to work.” During and inquest into her death her husband Ernest stated that “due to high demand at the hospital she had to continue working.” Mary was not practicing in the U.S., but her story is compelling.

Mary was initially admitted to the hospital on April 5, 2021, complaining of respiratory issues. The physician who saw her felt that day stated he “suspected she had COVID-19,” but discharged her the same day (April 5) as oxygen was not yet needed.

COVID-19 symptoms were definitely present two days later when she was admitted to the same hospital, the one she worked at. Her baby had to be delivered by C-section on April 7th, and Mary’s husband could not be with her on the maternity ward. She was 35 weeks pregnant at that time. 

Mary was transferred to ICU and died of COVID-19 pneumonia a few days later on April 12, 2021.

Like so many other nurses, Mary was fearful of bringing the virus that caused her death home to her family.

At the inquest, Mary’s husband, Ernest Boateng, provided evidence:

‘Mary continued to work during this time [the start of the coronavirus outbreak], but she was very concerned about the situation involving Covid-19, so much so that when she came home from work, she would take her clothes off at the front door and take a shower immediately. She slept in the spare room instead of her own bed and tried to stay away from her husband and child when home.

‘She was very worried about bringing Covid into the home.’

“Mr Boateng told the inquest his wife had worked ‘on some Covid-19 wards’.

‘I wanted her to stay at home,’ said Mr Boateng.” ‘But due to high demand at the hospital, she had to continue working.’

‘She tried to reassure me that everything would be OK, but I could understand she was anxious and panicking deep down.’

“The inquest heard that after she was signed off, Ms Agyapong would go into the hospital to confirm her ill-health and to attend medical appointments.”

‘My understanding is Mary was being pressured to get back to work, as she had meetings about her sickness records earlier that year,’ “Mr Boateng said.”

(BBC, 2021, March 23. Mary Agyapong: Pregnant nurse who died with COVID ‘felt pressured’ to work. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-56498978).

(BBC, 2020, September 30, Mary Agyapong: COVID-19 nurses colleagues to give inquest evidence. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-54359098).

Haley Richardson, nurse

Haley was not listed in the Guardian/ KHN database. Haley was a 32-year-old labor and delivery nurse in Alabama, when she developed what she thought was a sinus infection. Unfortunately, it was actually due to COVID-19. Haley, who was a married mom with one child, was approximately six months pregnant.

She was aware of how overrun the hospitals were so she initially self-isolated and monitored her heart rate and oxygen until August 8, 2021. Haley’s oxygen saturation dropped markedly, so she was admitted to ICU and placed on a ventilator. Ultrasound showed that the fetus was in trouble and by the 18^th of August the baby was deceased.

While her condition deteriorated, efforts were made to find a critical care bed with an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine to rest her heart and lungs. ECMO is a machine that removes desaturated blood, eliminating carbon dioxide through one canula, oxygenates the blood and returns it through a second canula. There were no options available, and Haley’s condition deteriorated rapidly. She died two days after the fetus on August 20, 2021.

Kindelan, K., 2021, August 24. Pregnant nurse dies from COVID-19, leaving behind husband and daughter. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/pregnant-nurse-dies-covid-19-leaving-husband-daughter/story?id=79621407.

Tributes to Nurses and Other Healthcare Providers

It is only through organizations that started to collect information about those who lost their lives that we have any accounting for the number of healthcare related deaths. The following organizations put in many hours gathering information about and photos of colleagues that were lost.

New York State Nurses Association

New York City was the first COVID-19 hot spot in the U.S., and the impact on nurses was devastating. This memorial, created by the NYSNA provides a powerful incentive to prevent a repeat when the next pandemic strikes. Such an effort will not take a village, but rather a coordinated and planet-wide effort to protect our nurses.

Sadly, this tribute honors approximately 158 nurses who died in 2020 and 2021.

NYSNA (2021). In Memoriam: Fallen NYSNA Nurses. https://www.nysna.org/in-memoriam-fallen-nysna-nurses?link_id=16&can_id=082eaf0e96fca1e66d9119410bdf186d&source=email-rumc-virtual-lbu-mtg-june-1&email_referrer=email_817715&email_subject=nysna-covid-19-update-may-29

American Nurses Association We Honor our COVID-19 Fallen Nurses

The American Nurses Association (ANA) created a tribute to nurses lost to COVID-19, created from submissions from family and friends as there are no official records to examine. At least two nurses were listed as John Doe. Was this because their names were not known by the person who uploaded the information? Several nurses listed just had a first or last name. These may have been “travel nurses” who arrived from some other place to help care for patients but did not get the opportunity to know their colleagues before their own lives were lost to this deadly virus. At least someone tried to remember those nurses and to honor them.

There were at least 726 nurses on the ANA Enterprises list when we accessed it on February 1, 2025. For every one of the nurses lost to COVID-19 there were children, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers, and/or other loved ones who grieved them and suffered the incredible pain of that loss. ANA Enterprises. (n.d.). We honor our COVID-19 fallen nurses.https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/health-safety/disaster-preparedness/coronavirus/what-you-need-to-know/memorial/

International, Interdisciplinary Healthcare Worker Deaths

Medscape (2021, June 3). In Memoriam: Healthcare Workers Who Have Died of COVID-19

This tribute was intended to honor all healthcare providers who lost their lives to the SARS- CoV-2 virus. The tribute initially had a link to a form that colleagues and family members could use to submit names and information such as age, hospital or facility, profession/ specialty, and a link to verify the death.

“Physicians, nurses, assistants, technicians, orderlies, administrators, volunteers, driver, porters, EMTs, firefighters, and more.” As of July 1, 2021, 1800 individual healthcare workers who lived in 64 countries were honored and mourned.

Medscape is “an online global destination for physicians and worldwide, offering the latest medical news and expert perspectives; essential point-of-care drug and disease information; and relevant professional education and CME” (Medscape, about https://www.medscape.com/public/about?_gl=1*ljqyio*_gcl_au*NTYzOTExNTA1LjE3Mzg1NDIyNjQ).

Medscape (2021, June 3). In Memoriam: Healthcare Workers Who Have Died of COVID-19. Medscape Medical News. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/927976

The Guardian/ Kaiser Health News: Lost on the Frontline Tribute

The Guardian and Kaiser Health News collected information on 3,607 U.S. healthcare providers who died within in the first year of the COVID-19 through April 2021. The earliest known deaths of nurses in the U.S. were reported on March 24, 2020, with one nurse who worked in New Jersey and the other in New York City.

The Guardian/ Kaiser team has been critically examining issues that have contributed to COVID-19 related deaths of healthcare providers from March of 2020. Not only did these organizations work together to name those who lost their lives, but they also provided a searchable database that allows other researchers to review the in-depth analysis of the data completed by the Guardian/ Kaiser Health News team.

The statement on the first page of the website asks a critical question:

“3607 US healthcare worker deaths

were counted by the Guardian and KHN in the first year of the pandemic. This is the most comprehensive count in the nation as of April 2021, and our series of investigative reports into this tragedy posed a disturbing question:

Did they have to die?”

More than 100 investigative reporters were involved in research to verify deaths, obtain information from medical professionals, interview those loved ones left behind, and then to write the healthcare providers.  

The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation (2021, April). Lost on the frontline. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

Conclusions of Guardian/ and Kaiser Health News Research Team

The Guardian/Kaiser Health team analyzed and graphed much of the data. Of the 1,734 healthcare workers about whom occupation was known, 32% (562) were nurses. That is approximately one in every three deaths was a nurse.

The second largest group was listed as “healthcare support,” with 346 deaths. Physicians were the third highest occupation with 291 who died during the first year of the pandemic.

Overall, front line nurses were younger than for those who died in the general population, with a median of 59. In the rest of the population the average age was 78. Over half of the healthcare workers on the frontline for whom COVID-19 was fatal, were under 60. Although more white people died of COVID-19 than did those who identified as people of color, a disproportionate number of people of color died. Figure 1 shows the racial/ ethnic make up of the U.S. at the start of the pandemic on the left side. The pie chart on the right shows race/ ethnicity distribution of the 862 healthcare personnel the Guardian/ Kaiser Health News database, the discrepancies are quite clear.

Whereas 21.5% of all of those who died of COVID-19 infections in this sample were black, only 12.54% of the U.S. population identified as black. Similarly, Asian American Pacific Islanders accounted for 5.76% of the entire country, in this sample 16.8% of those who died were AAPI, which is almost three times what would be expected if deaths were proportionate to population.

Deaths of those who identified as Hispanic or Latinx were slightly lower than what would be expected as 18.45% of the country is of Hispanic or Latina/ Latino descent. White people made up 60.11% of the 2020 population, but only 29.6% of the healthcare workers who died.

When all healthcare providers were counted, there were 983 records with enough information to determine birth country. A total of 38.4% of frontline healthcare workers who died had immigrated to the United States. The country of origin with the largest number of nurses who emigrated to the U.S. was the Philippines. A total of 113 Filipino healthcare workers died in the first year. 

Information regarding frontline workers’ fear and concerns about inadequate PPE had, obviously, to come from survivors and was available for only 654 workers. Survivors referred to texts, email, posts, discussions – and 145 people confirmed that the frontline worker had expressed concerns about not having appropriate protection.

There were 81 front line worker deaths in March of 2020, and 463 in April of that year. Despite an almost two-month warning, the U.S. was not prepared to protect the healthcare providers who had to face off with SARS-CoV-2 virus when it spread across the borders.

The two hardest hit states early in the pandemic were New Jersey and New York with more than 700 of 3,606 for whom that information was available. At various times in 2020 other hot spots were, in descending order, Texas, California, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Washington state, and North Carolina.

Long-term care and residential facilities experienced a disproportionate numbers of healthcare deaths, accounting for 1,814 of the 3,132 front line workers for whom workplace information was known. Another 753 workers who died were in private or public hospitals, approximately 24%.

We recommend a visit to the website below for further details.      

The Guardian & Kaiser Health Foundation (2021, April). Lost on the frontline. Key findings.  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/aug/11/lost-on-the-frontline-covid-19-coronavirus-us-healthcare-workers-deaths-database

A Study of U.S. Healthcare Provider COVID-19 Cases and Deaths

Lin, et al. (2022) used data from the U.S. Restricted Access Data of the CDC to examine healthcare provider confirmed and probable cases, and deaths. The restricted access database contains de-identified demographic information and information from the medical record. From January 1, 2020, to October 12, 2021, there were 440,044 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 infections in healthcare workers compared to a total of 6,271,313 testing confirmed, reported cases in the U.S. general population.

The study population was all of the CDC reported cases. The researchers used a case control design and logistic regression analysis to compare healthcare workers who died with three control groups: 1) healthcare workers who survived, 2) non-healthcare workers (general population) who died, 3) non-healthcare workers who survived. The authors also examined the impact of 33 confounding variables.

There were 1,469 healthcare worker deaths identified during the study period, the fatality rate of 0.33%. For the general population, the fatality rate was much higher at 24.64%. The researchers concluded that healthcare workers at highest risk for death were more likely to be disproportionately male, Black or Asian, and over 50 years of age.  Though more women died, men were more likely to experience severe symptoms. The highest death rates in healthcare workers occurred in April, July and August 2020. Factors that increased the risk of healthcare worker deaths included pre-existing conditions, and severe dyspnea that required the worker to be intubated and mechanically ventilated.

The authors also concluded that higher healthcare worker death rates at the beginning of the infection were related to increased exposure during surges, insufficient protective equipment, inadequate training, excessive workloads, and lack of hospital and critical care beds. Death rates for healthcare workers were lower than in the control groups, and it was suggested this may have been due to increased access to care and treatment (Lin, et al., 2022).

Lin, S., et al. (2022). COVID-19 symptoms and deaths among healthcare workers, United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 28, 8, 1624-1632. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2808.212200

Summary

The first year of the pandemic, more than 3,607 healthcare lost their lives fighting a full-blown war with an invisible enemy. One of every three healthcare providers who lost their lives was a nurse. Every one of them had plans for the rest of their lives. But as nurses so often do, they put the needs of patients first. Several nurses returned from retirement to meet the need.  

Friends and family spoke positively about these women and men. They were valued for how they enriched the lives of their own loved ones. Their stories also show how much they contributed to society at large through their commitment to providing the best care possible to their patients and their families. So many of those who died also contributed to the nursing profession by teaching and mentoring younger nurses into new roles. They were heroes, no doubt about it.

Yet the question has to be asked again, did they really need to die?

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