Medical News posted a report on July 30, 2020 that had us wondering. Scientists had discovered more than twice the number of employee absences in mid-April 2020 compared to the previous year. The authors are physicians from Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, and the City University of New York’s Hunter College. Are some Americans reporting ill instead of declaring they have COVID?
Are Americans Reporting Ill to Conceal COVID 19 Infections
This would be a serious matter if it were to be the case. We know the pandemic has created an unemployment crisis, and Medical News confirms this. Almost a quarter of American civilian workers have no access to paid sick leave. Could this mean some don’t want to admit they are quarantining during the pandemic?
What we do know is 2 million people were off sick in mid-April, 2020, and this was up from 1.3 million from the previous month. It was also the highest rate since at least January 1976. It’s easy to jump to the conclusion some American workers were reporting ill, instead of admitting to COVID. But what are the facts?
Are There Facts We Can Draw To Reach a Conclusion
Medical News reports the increase in sickness-related absences was ‘disproportionately high for some groups. And it was highest for immigrant workers’. Moreover, the number of affected immigrant workers was five times greater than in 2019. Interestingly, they scored better than native-born workers that year.
The study group from Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, and the City University of New York’s Hunter College concluded as follows (see report below):
1… Immigrant workers are more likely to be involved in essential jobs with high risk of exposure to COVID
2… Immigrant workers are also less likely to be in roles that allow them to perform their work at home
3… The increase in absences was highest among workers without college education, or older than 55 years
4… The true number of infected cases may be higher since there was no COVID-19 surge at the time.
These findings, although not conclusive appears to suggest some Americans may be reporting ill, instead of confirming a COVID-19 infection. Could this be for fear of losing their jobs?
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Preview Image: Preparing a Patient for a Procedure
