Excess Deaths From COVID-19 and Other Causes, March-April 2020 SH Woolf et al, JAMA, July 1, 2020

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 Coronavirus

Excess Deaths From COVID-19 and Other Causes, March-April 2020
SH Woolf et al, JAMA, July 1, 2020

Mortality and Morbidity-The Measure of a Pandemic
JW Zylke et al, JAMA, July 1, 2020

Death seems like it should be an accurate measure of the pandemic’s worst outcome. However, the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in official reports is likely an underestimate of deaths caused by COVID-19. In addition, the statistic does not incorporate deaths indirectly attributable to the virus and the measures used to contain it.

Covid-19 vaccine shows positive results
M Herper, STAT News, July 1, 2020

Covid-19 sickens seniors differently. Here’s why.
JW Rowe, Washington Post, June 29, 2020

The effect of frailty on survival in patients with COVID-19 (COPE): a multicentre, European, observational cohort study
J Hewitt et al, Lancet Public Health, June 30, 2020

A cohort study was conducted at ten hospitals in the UK and one in Italy. All adults (=18 years) admitted to participating hospitals with COVID-19 were included. Patients were grouped according to frailty score. COVID-19 Disease outcomes were better predicted by frailty than either age or comorbidity.

Most People With Coronavirus Won’t Spread It. Why Do a Few Infect Many?
K Zimmer, MY Times, June 30, 2020

Growing evidence shows most infected people aren’t spreading the virus. But whether you become a superspreader probably depends more on circumstance than biology.