Report claims US has more than 900,000 COVID-19 mortalities

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• A new study by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation suggests the coronavirus death toll in the US is more than 900,000.
• The official government tally is 577,000 U.S. deaths.
• Public health experts agree that the actual number of Covid deaths is higher than the numbers reported by the CDC.

According to a new study conducted by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, about 905,000 Americans may have died from COVID-19. A number almost double the official count of 577,000 deaths.

In other parts of the world, the actual number of deaths is more than the official tally. In India, for example, deaths may be 654,400, three times the official toll of 246,000.

The study says that the COVID-19 death toll worldwide is now nearing 7 million, more than twice the reported number of 3.29 million.

Public health experts acknowledge that the actual coronavirus death toll is higher than the numbers reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, it is not determined how much higher the actual toll may be.

The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation used a variety of existing data sets and studies and applied statistical modeling to get their results.

According to IHME Director Dr. Chris Murray, the study marks “a major change” in how his institution is thinking about the pandemic’s impact. 

“As terrible as the COVID-19 pandemic appears, this analysis shows that the actual toll is significantly worse,” Murray added in a statement. “Understanding the true number of COVID-19 deaths not only helps us appreciate the magnitude of this global crisis, but also provides valuable information to policymakers developing response and recovery plans.”

IHME predicts that almost 950,000 Americans might die from COVID-19 by September, and deaths worldwide could reach 9.4 million.

IHME is founded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2007. The research institute makes policy recommendations on global health concerns.

In April last year, IHME’s previous model for projecting COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. was criticized by the epidemiological community. Some believed IMHE’s model overestimated potential U.S. deaths. Initially, the institution estimated that 38,000 to 162,000 people in the US might die by the time the pandemic rescinded.

In IHME researchers’ latest report, the estimated deaths were thought to be “caused directly by” the coronavirus, “not deaths caused by the pandemic’s disruption to health care systems and communities.”

Murray said that underreporting of coronavirus deaths has been a problem, particularly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In some localities, only deaths that occur in hospitals were reported. People who died at home without confirmed diagnoses contribute to inaccurate tallies. 

Source: HUFFPOST