Study Describes COVID-19 Outbreaks, Mortality Among California Transportation Workers

Between January 2020 and May 2022, COVID-19 mortality among workers in California’s transportation support industry was more than twice as high as in all state industries, according to a new study that appears in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Transportation support involves maintenance and services related to airport cargo and terminals.

During the study period, the COVID-19 mortality rate for California’s transportation support workers was 237.4 per 100,000. The rate for all industries in the state was 114.4 per 100,000. In addition to transportation support, the industries characterized by the study include air and rail transportation, bus service and urban transit, and taxi and limousine service. For all public transportation industries, the cumulative crude mortality rate was 174 per 100,000 workers, which is 1.5 times as high as the rate across all industries.

The study determined that 340 COVID-19 outbreaks resulting in more than 5,600 cases and 537 deaths occurred among workers in all public transportation industries in California. Bus and urban transit experienced 5.2 times as many outbreaks as all California industries.

To read the study, access the Aug. 19 issue of MMWR on the CDC website.