New York City Has Seen More Than 24,000 Excess Deaths During COVID-19
An analysis from the CDC highlights how the coronavirus may have had an even deadlier effect on the city than known.
By Gaby Galvin, Staff Writer May 11, 2020, at 3:32 p.m.
THE OFFICIAL coronavirus death toll doesn't capture the full scope of its destruction in New York City, the hardest-hit city in the U.S., a new analysis suggests.
The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measured how many people died above what would normally be expected as the coronavirus burned through New York City between March 11 – when the city saw its first virus-linked death, and when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic – and May 2, when the city had 18,879 confirmed and probable COVID-19-associated deaths. As of Sunday, there were about 20,000 deaths in the city, and nearly 80,000 nationwide as of Monday.
About 32,100 New Yorkers died in the nearly two-month time frame – a level about four times higher than expected based on seasonal trends, the report shows. Among the estimated 24,172 excess deaths, 78% were confirmed or likely tied to COVID-19, leaving about 5,300 excess deaths not identified as directly connected to the coronavirus.
Those excess deaths "might have been directly or indirectly attributable to the pandemic," researchers said.
For example, people with underlying health issues like heart disease and diabetes are at high risk of serious complications tied to COVID-19, "and deaths in persons with these chronic health conditions might not be recognized as being directly attributable to COVID-19," according to the study.
The study also suggests some of the excess deaths may be from non-COVID-19 causes. As the crisis continues in the U.S., doctors have become increasingly concerned about people not seeking medical care for other urgent issues, like heart attacks and strokes.
"Social distancing practices, the demand on hospitals and health care providers, and public fear related to COVID-19 might lead to delays in seeking or obtaining lifesaving care," researchers said. "Tracking excess mortality is important to understanding the contribution to the death rate from both COVID-19 disease and the lack of availability of care for non-COVID conditions."
Empty Emergency Rooms Worry Doctors as Patients Delay Care ]
Some people who died of COVID-19 also could have been excluded from the tally of coronavirus-linked deaths, the study notes. That could be because they weren't tested for the virus, their test came back with a false negative result, they were infected after testing negative, they didn't die in a health care facility, or their provider did not suspect COVID-19 as the cause of death.
The coronavirus struck New York City harder than much of the country. Separate CDC data shows that across the U.S., there were an estimated 54,080 excess deaths in the four weeks from March 22 through April 18.
usnews.com |
