Analysis Finds True US Pandemic Death Toll Is Much Higher Than 200,000

[sl8]

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/analysis-finds-true-pandemic-death-toll-is-much-higher-than-200000-in-us/

Analysis Finds True US Pandemic Death Toll Is Much Higher Than 200,000

BU researchers: number of pandemic-related deaths is 36 percent higher than reported, with disadvantaged communities hit even harder than thought

OCTOBER 5, 2020
MICHELLE SAMUELS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last week that the United States had passed a grim milestone: over 200,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19. But research from Boston University School of Public Health finds that the true number of losses could be much higher.

That analysis, available on medRxiv ahead of peer-reviewed publication, took a close look at the number of US deaths between February and September 2020 that are characterized as in excess of the number of deaths that would be expected in a normal year. Researchers discovered that for every 100 excess deaths directly attributed to COVID-19, there were another 36 excess deaths—also likely caused by COVID-19, but in a less obvious manner.

BU researchers, who teamed up with collaborators from the University of Pennsylvania and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found more of these additional deaths in US counties that have greater income inequality, high percentages of non-Hispanic Black residents, less home ownership, and high population density. The data suggest that higher mortality rates are inextricably linked with socioeconomic disadvantage and structural racism.

Looking at where the most excess deaths occured is a better measure of the pandemic’s disproportionate effect on communities than simply tallying up the total number of COVID-19–related deaths, according to study lead author Andrew Stokes, a BU School of Public Health assistant professor of global health. “Excess deaths include COVID deaths that were ascribed to other causes, as well as the indirect consequences of the pandemic on society,” he says.

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[intrepidity]

1. 249,167 nt

[unblock]

2. Yikes:

"This means that the real fatality pussy could actually be around 284,000."

https://whatsnew2day.com/investigation-of-additional-deaths-shows-there-may-be-an-additional-75000-unconfirmed-covid-19-fatalities/

spellcheck is just not a substitute for proofreading!

[sl8]

3. Good eye! n/t

[magicarpet]

4. Oh my God,... they fudged the numbers to make trDumpie look good on paper.

Say it ain't so !

[unblock]

5. Yes and no

There may be some fudging certainly, but some of this is inevitable.

Some Covid-related deaths might not have been counted if the victim never was tested or if they tested negative (tests aren't perfect)

Some coroners might not have listed Covid as the cause of death if multiple problems existed, e.g., the victim already had copd, stage 4 cancer, etc.

And some people have died theoretically having nothing to do with Covid, but because of the pandemic, they avoided preventive care or stopped exercising or otherwise did things that increased their chance of dying from unrelated causes.



And yeah, also the fudging. That too.

[eppur_se_muova]

6. This has been found before ... lots of people dying at home, never tested positive, etc.

So COVID-19 not listed as official cause of death by the coroner. As someone else pointed out, where there are other comorbidities present, it would actually be very difficult to decide if COVID was responsible w/out knowing the course of the disease.