Beyond the Nurses and Doctors: Structural Racism and the Unseen Frontline Service Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline workers have faced unparalleled levels of distress, and hospitals have used many interventions to improve workers’ mental health. However, service workers—including water, sanitation, and hygiene staff; food service workers; and countless others—are not being appropriately supported for their heroic efforts. This Open Forum describes the demographic characteristics of this neglected population, explores the role of structural racism in the lack of support interventions, examines the relationship between social determinants of health and COVID-19–related morbidity and mortality within this population, and petitions institutions to more deeply consider how they support their service workers.