The 2020 death toll is higher than normal, and that’s not all Covid-19

The year 2020 has been unusual for death. At least 356,000 more people than normal have died in the United States since the coronavirus epidemic hit the country in the spring. But not all of these deaths are directly related to Covid-19.

More than a quarter of deaths are due to common causes, including diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, high blood pressure and pneumonia, according to an analysis by the New York Times of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some of these additional deaths may have actually been caused by Covid-19, but they may have been due to a diagnosis or other malpractice.

Many of these are possibly indirectly related to the virus and are caused by epidemic disruptions, including health care training, inadequate supply of ventilators, or fear of exposure to coronaviruses, including people avoiding hospitals.

40,000 additional deaths from diabetes, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure and pneumonia

Research has shown that people with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are particularly susceptible to serious illness and death if they contract Covid-19.

In some states, the death toll from diabetes is at least 20 percent higher than normal this year.

Prolonged economic stress on families during an epidemic can also increase the deaths of people with chronic illnesses.

“You’ve made the choice between buying your prescription drugs or groceries or having a roof over your head,” said Steven Wolfe, director of the Society and Health Center at Virginia Commonwealth University. To be higher than usual.

At least 10 states have seen deaths from high blood pressure – common comorbidities like diabetes – even higher than the national percentage. This can include death from heart failure, kidney failure or stroke.

Many people who die from high blood pressure also have a high risk of severe Covid-19, so some of these deaths may be Covid-19 deaths that are missing, according to Robert Anderson, head of the Mortality Statistics Branch at the CDC’s National Center. For health statistics.

Across the country, deaths from Alzheimer’s disease, which usually affects older adults, are up more than 12 percent from normal this year, with some southern states seeing a large increase. This may be related to the challenges of providing adequate care in nursing homes during the epidemic – deaths in nursing homes account for more than a third of the country’s total coronavirus toll. The virus has also exacerbated some of these patients’ existing health conditions.

Dr Wolf said other epidemiological factors such as social isolation and challenges in accessing emergency services could also contribute to the deaths.

Covid-19 deaths are more likely to occur in many people than normal deaths from pneumonia that were not identified, especially in previous epidemics when there was a shortage of coronavirus tests. Chest X-rays of the virus and pneumonia also look particularly similar, experts said.

New York City, the epicenter of the epidemic, has seen pneumonia deaths more than 50 percent higher than normal, more than double the percentage in the highest-rate states.

As the epidemic has progressed, coroners and medical examiners have become better at identifying deaths caused by the virus.

Counting deaths takes time, and many states are weeks or months behind in their reports. The CDC’s estimates are based on how the mortality rate has lagged behind in previous years.

Dr .. Wolfe also warned that many people who are not imprisoned in the death toll could have poor health consequences.

“An epidemic survivor may deteriorate over the next few years due to problems caused during the epidemic,” he said. This may include people who have missed regular checkups or who have been delayed in getting proper treatment for their illness.