The grim reality of the coronavirus’ toll on New York City may include thousands of deaths beyond those already tallied — hovering around 25,000 fatalities, according to a study released Monday.
From mid-March through early May, about 25,000 more city residents died than would normally be expected in that period, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday, citing statistics from the city’s Department of Health.
Through Sunday, 14,753 confirmed coronavirus deaths had been tallied in the city, along with 5,178 probable deaths, in which the deceased weren’t officially tested but displayed telltale signs of the bug, for an overall toll of 19,931.
But that still leaves over 5,000 unexplained “excess deaths” beyond what the city normally sees at this time of year, the study found.
Those fatalities could be in some way attributable to the pandemic, created by such factors as “the demand on hospitals and health care providers and public fear related to COVID-19,” the report found.
“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,” the report goes on to say.
With Post wires
Source: Read Full Article