A 20-year-old nursing assistant, a 9/11 first responder: the US health workers who died from Covid-19
We are documenting the lives of every US medical worker who dies helping patients during the pandemic. These are some of the first tragic cases
Americas healthcare workers are dying. In some states, medical staff account for as many as 20% of known coronavirus cases. From doctors to hospital cleaners and from nursing home aides to paramedics, those most at risk have already helped save thousands of lives.
Not all these medical professionals survive their encounters with patients. Hospitals are overwhelmed, workers lack protective equipment and some staff suffer from underlying health conditions that make them vulnerable to this pernicious virus.
Health authorities in the US have no consistent way of tallying the deaths of healthcare workers. As of 14 April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 27 deaths among health workers but our reporting shows that is likely a vast undercount.
Lost on the frontline is a collaboration between the Guardian and Kaiser Health News that aims to document the lives of healthcare workers in the US who die from Covid-19, and to understand why so many are falling victim to the pandemic.
These are some of the first tragic cases. We are creating a database and will investigate and record new cases as this project unfolds.
Aleyamma John, 65
Were failing miserably without her
Occupation: Registered nurse
Place of work: Queens hospital center in Queens, New York
Date of death: 5 April 2020
Aleyamma Johns family wanted her to retire. Her husband, John, an MTA transit worker, had stopped working a few years earlier. He and their son Ginu urged her to follow suit. We told her, Im sure dad wants to see the world with you you need to give him that opportunity, Ginu said.
She demurred. I think she found fulfillment in being able to serve, Ginu said. She was able to hold peoples hands, you know, even when they were deteriorating and be there for them. She began her career as a nurse in India 45 years ago; she and her husband emigrated to the United Arab Emirates, where their two sons were born, and moved to New York in 2002.
Ginu said his mother, a devout Christian, found joy in tending to her vegetable garden and doting on her two grandchildren. She cooked dishes from her native India and filled the Long Island home she shared with John, Ginu and Ginus family with flowers.
In March, as Queens hospital center began to swell with Covid-19 patients, Aleyamma sent her family of a photo of herself and colleagues wearing surgical hats and masks, but not enough personal protective equipment. Days later she developed a fever and tested positive for the virus. Johnny, Ginu and Ginus wife, Elsa, a nurse practitioner, also became ill.
When Aleyammas breathing became labored, her family made the difficult decision to call 911. It would be the last time they saw her. Were 17 days in, and I feel like were failing miserably without her, Ginu said.
Danielle Renwick
Mike Field, 59
A 9/11 first responder, he answered the call during the pandemic
Occupation: Volunteer emergency medical technician
Place of work: Village of Valley Stream, New York
Date of death: 8 April 2020
Mike Field had a strong sense of civic duty. An emergency medical technician, he was a first responder with the New York fire department (FDNY) on 9/11. He was also a member of his communitys all-volunteer fire department since 1987.
After he retired from FDNY in 2002, he took a job making and posting street signs with his local public works department. He continued to volunteer with Valley Streams fire department and mentored the junior fire department. When he wasnt responding to emergencies or training future emergency technicians he led a Boy Scout troop and volunteered for animal causes.
Heres somebody who cares about the community and cares about its people, said Valley Streams mayor, Ed Fare, who had known Mike since the seventh grade.
Stacey Field, his wife, said he found his calling early, after his own father experienced a heart attack. When the fire department EMTs came and helped his dad, he decided thats what he wanted to do, she said.
Their three sons Steven, 26; Richie, 22; and Jason, 19 have followed in their fathers footsteps. Steven and Richie are EMTs in New York; Jason plans on training to become one as well. All three volunteer at the same fire station their father did.
In late March, Mike and fellow volunteer responders were called to an emergency involving a patient showing symptoms of Covid-19. Field died on 8 April.
Sharon Jayson
Valeria Viveros, 20
She was just starting on a path to becoming a nurse
Occupation: Nursing assistant
Place of Work: Extended Care hospital of Riverside, California
Date of Death: 5 April 2020
Valeria Viveros was barely blooming, developing the skills and ambition to pursue a nursing career, said Gustavo Urrea, her uncle. Working at Extended Care hospital of Riverside was her first job.
Viveros, born in California to Mexican immigrants, grew attached to her patients at the nursing home, bringing them homemade ceviche, Urrea said. About a month ago, as he watched her cook, play and joke with her grandmother, he noticed how much her social skills had grown.
When she would say Hi, to, in her playful, sweet, high-pitched voice, it was like the best therapy you could have, Urrea recalled. Viveros, who lived with her parents and two siblings, was enrolled in classes at a community college.
Viveros began to feel sick on 30 March, went to a nearby hospital and was sent home with Tylenol, Urrea said. By 4 April, she was too weak to get out of bed on her own. She left in an ambulance and never came back.
Were all destroyed, he said. I cant even believe it.
On 5 April, county health officials reported a coronavirus outbreak had sickened 30 patients and some staff at the nursing home where she worked. Trent Evans, general counsel for Extended Care, said staffers were heartbroken by her death.
Viveros was head over heels in love with the residents that she served, he said. She was always there for them.
Melissa Bailey
Pamela Hughes, 50
She remembered the small but meaningful details about those in her care
Occupation: Nursing assistant and medication aide
Place of Work: Signature HealthCARE at Summit Manor, Columbia, Kentucky
Date of Death: 13 April 2020
Pamela Hughes lived her entire life in rural Columbia, Kentucky, but longed for wide, sandy beaches. For vacation, Hughes and her daughter, Brie, 26, eagerly drove 14 hours to Daytona Beach, Florida, or Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Hughes worked at Summit Manor, a nursing home in Columbia, for 32 years. She knew which residents preferred chocolate milk or applesauce with their medication; she remembered their favorite outfits and colors. Hughess usually shy demeanor vanished each December when she and co-worker Angie McAllister built a float for the towns Christmas parade competition.
We built 10 floats over 10 years, McAllister said. We got second place every year.
Even after several residents tested positive for the coronavirus, Hughes dismissed her worsening cough as allergies or bronchitis. The nursing home was short on help and she wanted to serve her patients, Brie said.
Days later, the public health department suggested her mother get tested. She tested positive, and her health worsened food tasted bitter, her fever soared, her hearing dulled. On 10 April, Hughes was taken by ambulance to a hospital, then by helicopter to Jewish hospital in Louisville. Barred from visiting, Brie said goodbye over FaceTime.
Sarah Varney
James House, 40
An eager student, he wanted to become a physician assistant
Occupation: Registered nurse
Place of work: Omni Continuing Care in Detroit, Michigan
Date of death: 31 March 2020
James House had a voracious appetite for learning about and a fascination with the human body.
His sister, Catrisha House-Phelps, traces it back to childhood visits to a dialysis center where their father received treatments. That was what tugged at his heart, she said. He just always wanted to know why.
House-Phelps said her brother adored his five children, treasured his anatomy and physiology books, and got a kick out of the residents he cared for at Omni Continuing Care. He thought they were family; he just said they were funny people, she said. He had hoped to go back to school to become a physician assistant.
House came down with what he thought was the flu in mid-March. His sister said he tried to get tested for Covid-19 but was turned away because he was not showing textbook symptoms and had no underlying health issues. On 31 March, after resting at home for over a week, House returned to work. Hours later, he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.
He texted his sister with updates on his condition. Im about to be intubated now, he wrote. It was the last message he sent her.
DR
Thomas Soto, 59
A loving grandfather, Soto was looking forward to spending more time with his family
Occupation: Radiology clerk
Place of work: Woodhull medical center in Brooklyn, New York
Date of death: 7 April 2020
After more than 30 years at one of New York Citys busy public hospitals, Thomas Soto loved his job but was looking forward to retiring, said his son, Jesse Soto, who lived with him. Thomas looked forward to visits with his four-year-old grandson.
They did everything together, said Jesse. He often shared meals with the little boy and took him to a local toy store.
At Thomass busy station near the emergency room, he greeted patients and took down their information.
Everybody saw him before their X-rays, Jesse, 29, said. He smiled all day, made jokes. He was a kind man.
As Covid-19 patients began to overwhelm Woodhull and other emergency rooms across the city, Jesse said that at first, his father didnt have any protective gear. (The hospital did not respond to requests for comment.)
He eventually got a mask. But he soon grew sick, developing a high fever, body aches and a cough. After a week, Soto said, he couldnt take it any more.
He was admitted at Woodhull and died two days later.
Michelle Andrews
Ali Dennis Guillermo, 44
A nurse who fought for his life in the ICU where he worked
Occupation: Registered nurse
Place of work: Long Island community hospital in East Patchogue, New York
Date of death: 7 April 2020
In 2004, Ali Dennis Guillermo, his wife, Romielyn, and their daughter uprooted their lives in the Philippines and moved to New York.
Everything fell into place. The former nursing instructor landed a job at Long Island community hospital, often working in intensive care or the emergency room. He enjoyed the intensity of ER work, his wife said.
As years passed, the couple had two sons and settled into a close-knit Filipino community on Long Island.
He was devoted to his three children.
He was such a lovely and good father, Romielyn said.
As Covid-19 emerged, he was assigned to patients who were transitioning out of intensive care. Many of the nurses on his floor had gotten sick, and everybody was scared, Romielyn said.
In late March, he began to feel achy, with a fever that soared to 102F (38.9C). Within days, his blood oxygen level plummeted.
His nails turned blue, an effect of low blood oxygen levels, and he asked his wife to take him to the ER. That was the last time they spoke. Guillermo was intubated in the ICU unit where he had worked. Nearly two weeks later, he died.
MA
Gary Sclar, 66
A whip-smart neurologist, Sclar was endlessly fascinated with the brain
Occupation: Neurologist
Place of work: Mount Sinai Queens in Queens, New York
Date of death: 12 April 2020
Gary Sclar was a whip-smart neurologist who loved comic books, Game of Thrones andStar Wars, said his daughter, Jennifer Sclar. He was deeply compassionate with a blunt bedside manner.
My dad was fascinated with the brain and with science, Jennifer Sclar said. His work was his passion, and its what made him the happiest, besides my brother and me. Set to retire in June, he was looking forward to writing about politics and neurology.
Gary Sclar saw patients who were showing Covid-19 symptoms and knew his age and underlying health conditions he had diabetes put him at risk for developing complications from the illness. His daughter pleaded with him to stop going in to the hospital.
In early April, he mentioned having lost his sense of smell, and on 8 April, he collapsed in his home. He was hospitalized a few days later and agreed to be intubated. I dont think he realized like that this was the end, Sclar said. He brought his keys. He brought his wallet.
DR
Rose Harrison, 60
Selfless and sassy, Alabama nurse cared for a Covid-19 patient at a nursing home
Occupation: Nurse
Place of work: Marion Regional nursing home in Hamilton, Alabama
Date of death: 6 April 2020
Rose Harrison lived to serve others her husband, three daughters, grandchildren and the residents of the nursing home where she worked. Though the Alabama nurse was selfless, she also had a sassy edge to her personality and was given to fits of pique behind the wheel, her daughter, Amanda Williams said.
Her personality was so funny, you automatically loved her, Williams said. She was so outspoken. If she didnt agree with you, shed tell you in a respectful way.
Williams was not wearing a mask when she cared for a patient who later tested positive for Covid-19 at Marion Regional nursing home in Hamilton, Alabama, her daughter said. She later developed a cough, fatigue and a low-grade fever, but kept reporting to duty all week. Officials from the nursing home did not return calls for comment.
On 3 April, Williams drove her mother to a hospital. The following evening, Harrison discussed the option of going on a ventilator with loved ones on a video call, agreeing it was the best course. Williams believed that her mother fully expected to recover.
Christina Jewett
Monica Echeverri Casarez, 49
A surgical technician who made friends everywhere she went
Occupation: Surgical technician
Place of work: Detroit medical center Harper University hospital in Detroit, Michigan
Date of death: 11 April 2020
Monica Echeverri Casarez was in constant motion, said her husband, Jorge Casarez. The daughter of Colombian immigrants, she worked as a Spanish-English interpreter in clinical settings. She was the kind of person whose arrival at a mom-and-pop restaurant would elicit hugs from the owners. She also co-founded Southwest Detroit Restaurant Week, a not-for-profit that supports local businesses.
Twice a month, she scrubbed in as a surgical technician at Harper University hospital. She liked discovering the beauty of how the body works and how science is clear and orderly, Casarez said. She was organized and intuitive, qualities that are assets in the operating room.
On 21 March, she posted a photo of herself in protective gear with the caption: Id be lying if I said I wasnt at least a bit nervous to be there now. Since many elective surgeries had been canceled, Echeverri Casarez was tasked with taking the temperatures of people who walked into the hospital and making sure their hands were sterilized.
Soon after, Echeverri Casarez and Casarez began feeling ill. Quarantined together, Echeverri Casarez tried to make the best of the situation. She baked her husband a cake chocolate with white frosting.She died a few days later.
DR
Kim King-Smith, 53
King-Smith was driven by a desire to help others until the end
Occupation: Electrocardiogram technician
Place of work: University hospital in Newark, New Jersey
Date of death: 31March 2020
Kim King-Smith was a natural caregiver. An only child, she grew up close to her extended family, including her cousins Hassana Salaam-Rivers and Sharonda Salaam. After Salaamdeveloped multiple sclerosis, King-Smith visited her every day.
Shed bring her sweets that she wasnt supposed to have and share them with her, Salaam-Rivers said. King-Smiths desire to care for others was the reason she became an electrocardiogram technician, her cousin added. If a friend of a friend or family member went to the hospital, she would always go and visit them as soon as her shift was over, she said.
In March, King-Smith cared for a patient she said had symptoms of Covid-19; she soon fell ill herself and tested positive for the virus. It seemed like a mild case at first, and she stayed in touch with family via FaceTime while trying to isolate from her husband, Lenny.
On 29 March, Salaam-Rivers checked in on her cousin and noticed she was struggling to breathe. She urged her to call an ambulance. After King-Smith was hospitalized, she exchanged text messages with her mother and cousin. As the day progressed, her messages carried increasingly grave news, Salaam-Rivers said. Then she stopped responding.
DR
Marion Curtis Hunt, 57
A social worker with panache who helped people struggling with addiction
Occupation: Social worker
Place of work: Cornell Scott-Hill health center and New Reach in New Haven, Connecticut
Date of death: 23 March 2020
At a shelter for adults recovering from addiction, residents looked forward to the days when Marion Curtis Hunt would take the stage, emceeing talent shows and belting out Broadway and gospel tunes.
It wasnt part of his job description as a social worker. It was just one of the ways he went above and beyond, said Daena Murphy, his supervisor at Cornell Scott-Hill health center. He had a beautiful voice, she said. He was just a wonderful person funny, engaging, always a huge smile on his face.
Hunt, the youngest of four brothers, earned his masters in social work from Fordham University at 52, and was baptized at his brothers Pentecostal church at 54. He was a devoted uncle who doted on his dog and cat, Mya and Milo.
Its unclear how Hunt got infected, but one patient he worked with tested positive for Covid-19, as did two co-workers, according to Dr Ece Tek, another supervisor at Cornell Scott-Hill health center. Hunt died on 23 March, one week after developing flu-like symptoms, said his brother John Mann Jr.
Melissa Bailey
Araceli Buendia Ilagan, 63
An exacting but loving aunt, she was a mentor until the end
Occupation: Intensive care unit nurse
Place of work: Jackson Memorial hospital in Miami, Florida
Date of death: 27 March 2020
For Jhoanna Mariel Buendia, her aunt was a constant if distant presence. Araceli Buendia Ilaganemigrated from their hometown Baguio, in the Philippines, to the US before Buendia was born, but she remained close to her family and communicated with them nearly every day.
She was one of the smartest people I ever knew, Buendia, 27, said. Buendia Ilagan, who at one point looked into adopting her niece so she could join her and her husband the United States, encouraged Buendia to become a nurse, and talked her through grueling coursework in anatomy and physiology. Buendia is now a nurse in London.
Buendia Ilagan was also demanding. Whenever she visited the Philippines, she wanted everything to be organized and squeaky clean, Buendia said.
The last time the two spoke, in late March, Buendia Ilagan didnt mention anything about feeling ill. Instead, the two commiserated over their experiences of treating patients with Covid-19; as always, her aunt offered her advice on staying safe while giving the best possible care. She died four days later.
DR
Leo Dela Cruz, 57
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/15/nurses-surgeons-janitors-first-us-health-workers-to-die-covid-19