“We compared US COVID-19 deaths and excess all-cause mortality in 2020 (vs 2015-2019) to that of 18 countries with diverse COVID-19 responses. We compared the US to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries with populations exceeding 5 million and greater than $25 000 per capita gross domestic product. For each country, we calculated the COVID-19 per capita mortality rate and grouped countries by mortality: (1) low (COVID-19 deaths, <5/100,000), (2) moderate (5-25/100,000), and (3) high (>25/100,000). We used Poisson regression for comparisons across countries. [..] In the 14 countries with all-cause mortality data, the patterns found for COVID-19–specific deaths were … Read More
All posts in COVID-19
This week’s refresh of the excess mortality count from the CDC (last updated October 7 [I think]). The federal agency identified over 272,000 excess deaths across the country since the start of this year (about 9,000 more than last week’s estimate). The overall excess mortality rate increased slightly from 11.1% last week to 11.2% this week. Data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, updated October 7, 2020
“Covid-19 is an overwhelming challenge, and many factors contribute to its severity. But the one we can control is how we behave. And in the United States we have consistently behaved poorly. [..] Why has the United States handled this pandemic so badly? We have failed at almost every step. We had ample warning, but when the disease first arrived, we were incapable of testing effectively and couldn’t provide even the most basic personal protective equipment to health care workers and the general public. [..] While the absolute numbers of tests have increased substantially, the more useful metric is the … Read More
This week’s refresh of the excess mortality count from the CDC (last updated September 30). The federal agency identified nearly 263,000 excess deaths across the country since the start of this year (about 13,000 more than last week’s estimate). The overall excess mortality rate increased slightly from 11.0% last week to 11.1% this week. Data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, updated September 30, 2020
“A new report by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has lambasted social media companies for allowing the anti-vaccine movement to remain on their platforms. The report’s authors noted that social media accounts held by so-called anti-vaxxers have increased their following by at least 7·8 million people since 2019. “The decision to continue hosting known misinformation content and actors left online anti-vaxxers ready to pounce on the opportunity presented by coronavirus”, stated the report. [..] The CCDH calculated that the anti-vaccine movement could realise US$1 billion in annual revenues for social media firms. As much as $989 million could … Read More
Excerpt – many people have heard about R0—the basic reproductive number of a pathogen, a measure of its contagiousness on average. But unless you’ve been reading scientific journals, you’re less likely to have encountered k, the measure of its dispersion. The definition of k is a mouthful, but it’s simply a way of asking whether a virus spreads in a steady manner or in big bursts, whereby one person infects many, all at once. After nine months of collecting epidemiological data, we know that this is an overdispersed pathogen, meaning that it tends to spread in clusters, but this knowledge … Read More
The CDC updated its count of excess deaths by state earlier today. For the weeks between the week ending February 1st through the week ending September 26th, the national excess death rate was 110% (same as last week). Thirteen states, the District of Columbia and New York City are reporting excess death rates higher than the national average (same as last week). Georgia has an excess mortality rate of 110%. California, Georgia and Nevada all had an excess mortality rates of 110%. New York City has the highest excess mortality rate (172% [down three percent]), followed by New Jersey (130% … Read More
Excerpt – Unless you are living with an infected person — in which case the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers specific guidelines to follow — protecting yourself at home does not require extraordinary measures, Dr. [Virginia Tech’s Linsey] Marr said. And when you venture elsewhere, wearing a face covering and washing your hands are still the best ways to protect yourself indoors. Health experts offered several tips for dodging the virus indoors: Open the windows, buy an air filter — and forget the ultraviolet lights. Fear of the risk of transmission indoors has fueled a market for expensive … Read More
Excerpt – From June through August, the incidence of the virus was highest among adults ages 20 to 29, according to research published on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Young adults accounted for more than 20 percent of all confirmed cases. [..] The new data show that outbreaks linked to parties, bars, dormitories and other crowded venues are hazardous not just to the 20-somethings who are present, but to more vulnerable Americans with whom they are likely to come into contact. [..] “This is what we worried would happen if young adults started regathering in higher … Read More