You could call them hobbies. But for some health workers facing burnout, creative outlets provide more than solace — they give a sense of meaning and community.

About a quarter of U.S. health care workers have refused the COVID-19 vaccine as of July. They share demographic traits with other unvaccinated people and are putting hospitals in a tough spot.

The delta variant is pummeling America's hospitals, taxing an already-depleted health care workforce. Once again, some states are facing the prospect of rationing medical care.

Many front-line health workers who have faced a perpetual lack of PPE and inconsistent safety measures believe the government and their employers have failed to protect them from COVID-19.

Dr. Joseph Varon of Houston's United Memorial Medical Center senses distrust for a vaccine among some hospital staff. "They all think it's meant to harm specific sectors of the population," he says.

Quimberly 'Kym' Villamer, a nurse at a hospital in New York City, shares what it was like to grow up in the Philippines while her parents worked in the U.S.

While most people who die from COVID-19 are over 65, health care workers who die are often younger. Here are stories of some who died in their 20s, leaving shattered dreams and devastated families.