scholarly journals Underestimation of COVID-19 mortality during the pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 00766-2020
Author(s):  
Stacey Kung ◽  
Marjan Doppen ◽  
Melissa Black ◽  
Irene Braithwaite ◽  
Ciléin Kearns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Analysis ◽  
International Variation ◽  
Historical Figures ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Excess Deaths

BackgroundThere has been considerable international variation in mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to investigate the differences between mortality registered as due to COVID-19 and the excess all-cause mortality reported in countries worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsEcological analysis of 22 countries compared five-year historical all-cause mortality, reported all-cause mortality and expected all-cause mortality (calculated as the historical mortality plus the reported deaths attributed to COVID-19). Data available from the first week of January 2020 to that most recently available were analysed.ResultsCompared to the preceding five years, there was an excess of 716 616 deaths of which 64.3% were attributed to COVID-19. The proportion of deaths registered as COVID-19 related/excess deaths varied markedly between countries, ranging between 30% and 197% in those countries that had an excess of deaths during the period of observation. In most countries where a definite peak in COVID-19 related deaths occurred, the increase in reported all-cause mortality preceded the increase in COVID-19 reported mortality. During the latter period of observation, a few countries reported fewer all-cause deaths than the historical figures.ConclusionThe increases in all-cause mortality preceded the increase in COVID-19 mortality in most countries that had definite spikes in COVID-19 mortality. The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 was underestimated by at least 35%. Together these findings suggest that calculation of excess all-cause mortality is a better predictor of COVID-19 mortality than the reported rates, in those countries experiencing definite increases in mortality.

scholarly journals Estimation of Excess Mortality and Years of Life Lost to COVID-19 in Norway and Sweden between March and November 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3913
Author(s):  
Martin Rypdal ◽  
Kristoffer Rypdal ◽  
Ola Løvsletten ◽  
Sigrunn Holbek Sørbye ◽  
Elinor Ytterstad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Excess Mortality ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
Regressive Model ◽  
Epidemic Period ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Auto Regressive ◽  
Expected Mortality ◽  
Auto Regressive Model ◽  
Excess Deaths

We estimate the weekly excess all-cause mortality in Norway and Sweden, the years of life lost (YLL) attributed to COVID-19 in Sweden, and the significance of mortality displacement. We computed the expected mortality by taking into account the declining trend and the seasonality in mortality in the two countries over the past 20 years. From the excess mortality in Sweden in 2019/20, we estimated the YLL attributed to COVID-19 using the life expectancy in different age groups. We adjusted this estimate for possible displacement using an auto-regressive model for the year-to-year variations in excess mortality. We found that excess all-cause mortality over the epidemic year, July 2019 to July 2020, was 517 (95%CI = (12, 1074)) in Norway and 4329 [3331, 5325] in Sweden. There were 255 COVID-19 related deaths reported in Norway, and 5741 in Sweden, that year. During the epidemic period of 11 March–11 November, there were 6247 reported COVID-19 deaths and 5517 (4701, 6330) excess deaths in Sweden. We estimated that the number of YLL attributed to COVID-19 in Sweden was 45,850 [13,915, 80,276] without adjusting for mortality displacement and 43,073 (12,160, 85,451) after adjusting for the displacement accounted for by the auto-regressive model. In conclusion, we find good agreement between officially recorded COVID-19 related deaths and all-cause excess deaths in both countries during the first epidemic wave and no significant mortality displacement that can explain those deaths.

Excess Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Philadelphia

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e6
Author(s):  
Megan Todd ◽  
Meagan Pharis ◽  
Sam P. Gulino ◽  
Jessica M. Robbins ◽  
Cheryl Bettigole
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Excess Mortality ◽  
Poisson Model ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Registration System ◽  
Vital Registration System ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Excess Deaths

Objectives. To estimate excess all-cause mortality in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the COVID-19 pandemic and understand the distribution of excess mortality in the population. Methods. With a Poisson model trained on recent historical data from the Pennsylvania vital registration system, we estimated expected weekly mortality in 2020. We compared these estimates with observed mortality to estimate excess mortality. We further examined the distribution of excess mortality by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Results. There were an estimated 3550 excess deaths between March 22, 2020, and January 2, 2021, a 32% increase above expectations. Only 77% of excess deaths (n=2725) were attributed to COVID-19 on the death certificate. Excess mortality was disproportionately high among older adults and people of color. Sex differences varied by race/ethnicity. Conclusions. Excess deaths during the pandemic were not fully explained by COVID-19 mortality; official counts significantly undercount the true death toll. Far from being a great equalizer, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting disparities in mortality by race/ethnicity. Public Health Implications. Mortality data must be disaggregated by age, sex, and race/ethnicity to accurately understand disparities among groups. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print June 10, 2021: e1–e6. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306285 )

scholarly journals Excess mortality among the elderly in 12 European countries, February and March 2012

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Mazick ◽  
B Gergonne ◽  
J Nielsen ◽  
F Wuillaume ◽  
M J Virtanen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preliminary Data ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Excess Mortality ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
European Countries ◽  
H3n2 Virus ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Cold Snap ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Excess Deaths

In February and March 2012, excess deaths among the elderly have been observed in 12 European countries that carry out weekly monitoring of all-cause mortality. These preliminary data indicate that the impact of influenza in Europe differs from the recent pandemic and post-pandemic seasons. The current excess mortality among the elderly may be related to the return of influenza A(H3N2) virus, potentially with added effects of a cold snap.

scholarly journals Excess all-cause mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe – preliminary pooled estimates from the EuroMOMO network, March to April 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (26) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lasse S Vestergaard ◽  
Jens Nielsen ◽  
Lukas Richter ◽  
Daniela Schmid ◽  
Natalia Bustos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Excess Mortality ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Federal States ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Health Action ◽  
Excess Deaths

A remarkable excess mortality has coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. We present preliminary pooled estimates of all-cause mortality for 24 European countries/federal states participating in the European monitoring of excess mortality for public health action (EuroMOMO) network, for the period March–April 2020. Excess mortality particularly affected  ≥ 65 year olds (91% of all excess deaths), but also 45–64 (8%) and 15–44 year olds (1%). No excess mortality was observed in 0–14 year olds.

scholarly journals Excess deaths reveal unequal impact of COVID-19 in Ecuador

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. e006446
Author(s):  
Leticia Cuéllar ◽  
Irene Torres ◽  
Ethan Romero-Severson ◽  
Riya Mahesh ◽  
Nathaniel Ortega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Indigenous Women ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Excess Death ◽  
Higher Ed ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Excess Deaths

Latin America has struggled to control the transmission of COVID-19. Comparison of excess death (ED) rates during the pandemic reveals that Ecuador is among the highest impacted countries. In this analysis, we update our previous findings with the most complete all-cause mortality records available for 2020, disaggregated by sex, age, ethnicity and geography. Our study shows that in 2020, Ecuador had a 64% ED rate (95% CI 63% to 65%) or 64% more deaths than expected. Men had a higher ED rate, 75% (95% CI 73% to 76%), than women’s 51% (95% CI 49% to 52%), and this pattern of higher EDs for men than women held for most age groups. The only exception was the 20–29 age group, where women had 19% more deaths, compared to 10% more deaths for men, but that difference is not statistically significant. The analysis provides striking evidence of the lack of COVID-19 diagnostic testing in Ecuador: the confirmed COVID-19 deaths in 2020 accounted for only 21% of total EDs. Our significant finding is that indigenous populations, who typically account for about 5% of the deaths, show almost four times the ED rate of the majority mestizo group. Indigenous women in each age group have higher ED rates than the general population and, in ages between 20 and 49 years, they have higher ED rates than indigenous men. Indigenous women in the age group 20–29 years had an ED rate of 141%, which is commensurate to the ED rate of indigenous women older than 40 years.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and excess mortality in the United States: A county-level analysis

PLoS Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. e1003571
Author(s):  
Andrew C. Stokes ◽  
Dielle J. Lundberg ◽  
Irma T. Elo ◽  
Katherine Hempstead ◽  
Jacob Bor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Excess Mortality ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
The United States ◽  
County Level ◽  
Level Variation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Excess Deaths

Background Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) excess deaths refer to increases in mortality over what would normally have been expected in the absence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several prior studies have calculated excess deaths in the United States but were limited to the national or state level, precluding an examination of area-level variation in excess mortality and excess deaths not assigned to COVID-19. In this study, we take advantage of county-level variation in COVID-19 mortality to estimate excess deaths associated with the pandemic and examine how the extent of excess mortality not assigned to COVID-19 varies across subsets of counties defined by sociodemographic and health characteristics. Methods and findings In this ecological, cross-sectional study, we made use of provisional National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data on direct COVID-19 and all-cause mortality occurring in US counties from January 1 to December 31, 2020 and reported before March 12, 2021. We used data with a 10-week time lag between the final day that deaths occurred and the last day that deaths could be reported to improve the completeness of data. Our sample included 2,096 counties with 20 or more COVID-19 deaths. The total number of residents living in these counties was 319.1 million. On average, the counties were 18.7% Hispanic, 12.7% non-Hispanic Black, and 59.6% non-Hispanic White. A total of 15.9% of the population was older than 65 years. We first modeled the relationship between 2020 all-cause mortality and COVID-19 mortality across all counties and then produced fully stratified models to explore differences in this relationship among strata of sociodemographic and health factors. Overall, we found that for every 100 deaths assigned to COVID-19, 120 all-cause deaths occurred (95% CI, 116 to 124), implying that 17% (95% CI, 14% to 19%) of excess deaths were ascribed to causes of death other than COVID-19 itself. Our stratified models revealed that the percentage of excess deaths not assigned to COVID-19 was substantially higher among counties with lower median household incomes and less formal education, counties with poorer health and more diabetes, and counties in the South and West. Counties with more non-Hispanic Black residents, who were already at high risk of COVID-19 death based on direct counts, also reported higher percentages of excess deaths not assigned to COVID-19. Study limitations include the use of provisional data that may be incomplete and the lack of disaggregated data on county-level mortality by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and sociodemographic and health characteristics. Conclusions In this study, we found that direct COVID-19 death counts in the US in 2020 substantially underestimated total excess mortality attributable to COVID-19. Racial and socioeconomic inequities in COVID-19 mortality also increased when excess deaths not assigned to COVID-19 were considered. Our results highlight the importance of considering health equity in the policy response to the pandemic.

scholarly journals Rapid estimation of excess mortality in times of COVID-19 in Portugal - Beyond reported deaths

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Vieira ◽  
Vasco Ricoca Peixoto ◽  
Pedro Aguiar ◽  
Alexandre Abrantes
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Limit ◽  
Excess Mortality ◽  
Arima Model ◽  
Significant Excess ◽  
The Past ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Specific Mortality ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Standard Deviations ◽  
Excess Deaths

Background: One month after the first COVID-19 infection was recorded, Portugal counted 18 051 cases and 599 deaths from COVID-19. To understand the overall impact on mortality of the pandemic of COVID-19, we estimated the excess mortality registered in Portugal during the first month of the epidemic, from March 16 until April 14 using two different methods. Methods: We compared the observed and expected daily deaths (historical average number from daily death registrations in the past 10 years) and used 2 standard deviations confidence limit for all-cause mortality by age and specific mortality cause, considering the last 6 years. An adapted ARIMA model was also tested to validate the estimated number of all-cause deaths during the study period. Results: Between March 16 and April 14, there was an excess of 1,255 all-cause deaths, 14% more than expected. The number of daily deaths often surpassed the 2 standard deviations confidence limit. The excess mortality occurred mostly in people aged 75+. Forty-nine percent (49%) of the estimated excess deaths were registered as due to COVID-19, The other 51% registered as other natural causes. Conclusion: Even though Portugal took early containment measures against COVID-19, and the population complied massively with those measures, there was significant excess mortality during the first month of the pandemic, mostly among people aged 75+. Only half of the excess mortality was registered as directly due do COVID-19.

scholarly journals Assessing the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on US Mortality: A County-Level Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew C Stokes ◽  
Dielle J Lundberg ◽  
Katherine Hempstead ◽  
Irma T Elo ◽  
Samuel H Preston
Keyword(s):  
Causes Of Death ◽  
Excess Mortality ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
County Level ◽  
Structural Racism ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Black Residents ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Level Analysis ◽  
Excess Deaths

Covid-19 excess deaths refer to increases in mortality over what would normally have been expected in the absence of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this study, we take advantage of spatial variation in Covid-19 mortality across US counties to estimate its relationship with all-cause mortality. We then examine how the extent of excess mortality not assigned to Covid-19 varies across subsets of counties defined by demographic and structural characteristics. We estimate that 26.3% [95% CI, 20.1% to 32.5%] of excess deaths between February 1 and September 23, 2020 were ascribed to causes of death other than Covid-19 itself. Excess deaths not assigned to Covid-19 were even higher than predicted by our model in counties with high income inequality, low homeownership, and high percentages of Black residents, showing a pattern related to socioeconomic disadvantage and structural racism. The standard deviation of mortality across counties increased by 9.5% as a result of excess deaths directly assigned to Covid-19 and an additional 5.3% as a result of excess deaths not assigned to Covid-19. Our work suggests that inequities in excess deaths attributable to Covid-19 may be even greater than revealed by data reporting deaths assigned to Covid-19 alone.

scholarly journals Ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 in Iran: challenges and signs of concern with under-reporting of prevalence and deaths

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahan Ghafari ◽  
Bardia Hejazi ◽  
Arman Karshenas ◽  
Stefan Dascalu ◽  
Luca Ferretti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Doubling Time ◽  
Air Travel ◽  
Start Date ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Major Outbreak ◽  
Province Level ◽  
Level Analysis ◽  
Limited Testing ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Excess Deaths

Abstract Many countries with an early outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 struggled to gauge the size and start date of the epidemic mainly due to limited testing capacities and a large proportion of undetected asymptomatic and mild infections. Iran was among the first countries with a major outbreak outside China. Using all genomic sequences collected from patients with a travel link to Iran, we estimate that the epidemic started on 21/01/2020 (95% HPD: 05/12/2019 – 14/02/2020) with a doubling time of 3 days (95% HPD: 1.68 – 16.27). We also show, using air travel data from confirmed exported cases, that from late February to early March the number of active cases across the country were more than a hundred times higher than the reported cases at the time. A detailed province-level analysis of all-cause mortality shows 20,718 (CI 95%: 18,859 – 22,576) excess deaths during winter and spring 2020 compared to previous years, almost twice the number of reported COVID-19-related deaths at the time. Correcting for under-reporting of prevalence and deaths, we use an SEIR model to reconstruct the outbreak dynamics in Iran. Our model forecasted the second epidemic peak and suggests that by 14/07/2020 a total of 9M (CI 95%: 118K – 44M) have recovered from the disease across the country. These findings have profound implications for assessing the stage of the epidemic in Iran and shed light on the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 transmissions in Iran and central Asia despite significant levels of under-reporting.

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