WaPo: Excess U.S. deaths hit estimated 37,100 in pandemic’s early days, far more than previously known

[Tek]

The United States recorded an estimated 37,100 excess deaths as the novel coronavirusspread across the country in March and the first two weeks of April, nearly 13,500 more than are now attributed to covid-19 for that same period, according to an analysis of federal data conducted for The Washington Post by a research team led by the Yale School of Public Health.

The Yale team’s analysis suggests that the number of excess deaths accelerated as the pandemic took hold. There were 16,600 estimated excess deaths just in the week of April 5 to April 11, compared with 20,500 over the prior five weeks.

Though the team’s estimate of the impact early in the outbreak already paints a picture of unusually high mortality, the number is certain to grow as more deaths are reported to the federal government on a rolling basis.

State and local leaders should be studying the estimates of excess deaths in their communities and basing consequential decisions about reopening businesses and social activities on those figures, rather than strictly using reported coronavirus infections and covid-19 fatalities, figures that are often incomplete and misleading, Murray said.

“If you’re basing your decision to open on your reported case numbers or your reported covid deaths, you’re making the wrong decision because those numbers aren’t reflective of what’s actually happening out in your community,” she said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2020/05/02/excess-deaths-during-covid-19/