The number of deaths in New York City from causes other than coronavirus rose by more than 5,000 people above the seasonal norm during the first two months of the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday.
The deaths could be due to several factors, the CDC said, including delays in seeking or getting life-saving care for fear of exposure to the coronavirus.
CAUSE OF DEATHS REMAIN UNKNOWN
Tracking excess mortality is vital in understanding the contribution to the death rate of both coronavirus and poor availability of care for people with non-corona conditions, noted researchers, who reported their findings in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The CDC used data from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which has an electronic reporting system with a near complete count of all deaths in the city.
These deaths could be directly or indirectly attributed to the pandemic and counting only the confirmed or probable coronavirus–associated deaths likely underestimates deaths attributable to the pandemic, the researchers said.
