Mortality Risks by Occupation During the Early Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City.

Cohort studyAmerican journal of industrial medicine· Jul 2026

Mortality Risks by Occupation During the Early Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City.

Blanca Bernard-Davila, Wenhui Li, Kacie Seil … Gretchen Van Wye

Read paper

Infectious DiseaseCohort studyClinical practiceQ1IF 3.9

Food preparation and serving workers had the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in early New York City pandemic.

Mortality Risks by Occupation During the Early Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City.

Blanca Bernard-Davila … Gretchen Van Wye

American journal of industrial medicine · Jul 2026

Background

Social determinants of health play a crucial role as part of interlinking factors that shape health.

Purpose

To determine the highest mortality burden of COVID-19 by occupation in New York City during the early pandemic time period, we analyzed New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) death certificate data.

Methods

We analyzed confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths among individuals 18-64 years using data from NYCDOHMH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), and the American Community Survey (American Community Survey).

n = 3591,

182.1

Results

182.1

per 100,000 population

this was the highest number of COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 food workers

n = 3591,

More results

Stratified mortality rates indicated that older adults, males, and minority racial and ethnic groups were disproportionally affected.

More than half of decedents aged 18-64 were foreign-born (n = 3591, 59.2%).

“

Conclusion · 1 of 2

Our analysis highlights the inequities of COVID-19 deaths across occupations in New York City. It informs future studies and tailored interventions that target high-risk populations.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

This knowledge will ideally lead to more equitable, protective responses to future pandemics.

Mortality Risks by Occupation During the Early Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City.

Mortality Risks by Occupation During the Early Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City.

Related papers