The past two months of claims data tell a dramatic and sometimes heartbreaking story.

It's a time period that will go down in history as among the most extraordinary any of us have ever experienced—and hope never to experience again. Individually, we have had to make major adjustments to our daily lives due to lockdowns and stay-at-home orders meant to blunt the spread of the novel coronavirus and the potentially deadly disease it causes, COVID-19.

But while some of us have had to endure disruption, many individuals have been on the front lines, working essential jobs in nursing homes, as commercial drivers, and in grocery stores. As a third-party administrator for the health plans of many labor unions and essential workers in the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak – the New York tri-state metro area – we have a unique view of the impact of COVID-19 on these groups.