A Solemn Moment
A review and reflection of COVID mortality data
During the past week —
More than 500,000 deaths from COVID-19 were reported in the US.
Preliminary data showed that the life expectancy in the US dropped by a full year during the first six months of 2020.
(Good news!!) NO deaths have been linked to the COVID vaccines.
Before diving into the details, I want to ask us all to PAUSE and to remember all who have died of COVID during the past 365 days. To quote President Biden —
I ask all Americans to remember. Remember those we lost and remember those we left behind…The people we lost were extraordinary. They span all generations. So many of them took their final breaths alone in America.
The total number of COVID deaths in the United States is 501,181; this doesn’t include the number of individuals who have indirectly died because of COVID - suicides, overdoses, heart attacks brought on by the stress of the pandemic. The impact of the pandemic is monumental. This is not just the flu.
In January 2021, COVID was the leading cause of death in the United States. Meaning more people died of COVID than cancer, heart disease, or flu/pneumonia. On average 2000 Americans are dying of COVID per day. More than 50 percent of Americans say they personally know someone who has been hospitalized or died as a result of COVID-19. When we look at this data by race, we find that 71 percent of black Americans know someone who has been hospitalized or died as a result of COVID-19 compared to only 49 percent of white Americans.
The COVID death count in the US far exceeds that of other countries. Nearly 20 percent of all of the global deaths from COVID have occurred in the US. A recent study published in The Lancet showed that countries with “loose” or relaxed social norms and fewer rules/restrictions (like the US or Spain) had 8 times more COVID deaths and 5 times more COVID cases compared to countries with “tight” or strict rules and restrictions (like South Korea or Taiwan). In the US the COVID death rate is 152 deaths per 100,000 people compared to a rate of 0.04 deaths per 100,000 in Taiwan, where the government strictly enforces quarantine, isolation, and mask-wearing.
As a result of the increasing number of COVID deaths, life expectancy in the US is declining. During the first half of 2020, the life expectancy of all Americans decreased by a full year. Why does this matter? Life expectancy — the average number of years a person can expect to live — is an indicator of community health. When we see a decline in life expectancy, it highlights that there is a decline in the overall health status in a community/country. When we look at life expectancy data, racial inequalities are again apparent. Among black Americans, the decrease in life expectancy during the first half of 2020 was 2.7 years; the decrease among Hispanic Americans was 1.9 years.
And for some good news…
CDC is tracking (through VAERS and v-safe) all of the adverse effects associated with the two (currently available) COVID vaccines. Following the first 13 million doses, ZERO deaths were caused by the vaccine. While 113 deaths occurred among individuals who were previously vaccinated, it was determined (through autopsies) that NONE of those deaths were caused by the vaccine.
The vaccine data is really positive — only 4.5 cases of anaphylaxis are occurring per 1 million doses of vaccine. That is a rare (really rare) side effect. The most common side effects of the vaccine are headache, fatigue, and dizziness. These side effects are a small price to pay for vaccine-induced immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The COVID vaccine is safe and effective. We all need to commit to getting the vaccine in order to drive down COVID mortality. Our individual decision to get vaccinated is tied to the health of our community.
And there is exciting vaccine news…
Tomorrow is the EUA hearing for the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine. I plan to publish a special vaccine edition tomorrow evening highlighting the outcome of those hearings. Stay tuned…
Great article! Thank You.