Studies and new findings show: The lockdown in the spring probably contributed to the temporary excess mortality in April, as did the coronavirus itself, although it is not clear with the latter who died “because of” or “with” the virus.
Doctors at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto examined the deaths in the city. The result is shocking: there was an excess mortality. But that was not only due to the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 disease it triggered, but also to the direct and indirect consequences of the lockdown.
Overall, there was an excess mortality rate of 37 percent in the study area in April compared to the previous month. 55 percent of them with Corona passed away. The rest of the excess mortality is due to other reasons, but they have to do with the lockdown. Because in parallel with the rise in mortality, inpatient admissions fell by 73% compared to April of the previous year due to aggravations or complications of chronic diseases, the doctors found.
That means: Because many examinations, operations and treatments were canceled or postponed because of the corona measures and because many patients did not dare to go to the doctor because of the corona crisis, the number of deaths has increased.
The old and sick died alone in their homes
Many patients with heart, lung, tumor and chronic diseases did not consult the doctors or would not have seen them in good time. At the same time, emergency services reported that they found more than twice as many people lifeless as usual in the same period. The affected elderly and sick people died alone in their homes.
Around 28 million surgical interventions worldwide postponed due to Corona
There are similar observations and concerns from Great Britain and other countries. It was found there that because of the corona measures, many important operations and treatments for cancer patients, for example, had to be postponed – with corresponding consequences for death rates.
When it comes to cancer treatments, it is always important to start as early as possible. A delay of just one month in cancer therapy could increase the risk of death by 3 to 13 percent, scientists explain. A study by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) at the British University of Birmingham in May caused a sensation: according to it, around 28 million surgical interventions were postponed worldwide in the spring due to Corona.