CDC: Long Covid Played A Part In More Than 3,500 Deaths
The research from the CDC is the first of its kind in the U.S. But one expert tells Stat that "the challenge is that the data they have provides only a floor of an estimate of the mortality burden of long covid."
The New York Times:
Long Covid Has Played Role In More Than 3,500 Deaths In US, CDC Says
Long Covid has caused or contributed to at least 3,500 deaths in the United States, an analysis of death certificates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. The study, published on Wednesday, is believed to be the first nationwide examination of whether long Covid or related terms appear in official American death records. While it found that such phrases were recorded in only a tiny proportion of the more than a million deaths tied to infection with the coronavirus, the researchers and other experts said the results added to growing recognition of how serious long-term post-Covid medical problems can be. (Belluck, 12/14)
CNN:
Long Covid Responsible For Thousands Of US Deaths, Report Says, But True Numbers Are Likely Much Higher
The majority of people who died from long Covid were White, older and male. Specifically, 78.5% of the deaths were among non-Hispanic White people. Non-Hispanic Black people made up 10.1% of the deaths, followed by Hispanic people at 7.8%. The death rate was highest among non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Natives, at 14.8 per 100,000 people. (Christensen, 12/14)
Stat:
Long Covid Death Certificate Records Are A ‘Floor Of An Estimate’
Long Covid has begun appearing on death certificates for a small percentage of people who have died during the pandemic, but that tiny fraction of records only hints at the whole story, two experts told STAT, while another has doubts about drawing any conclusions from it at all. (Cooney, 12/14)
