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robbob (2,331 posts)https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213273046The uncounted toll of this pandemic might be much higher then anyone realizes.
I have a friend who works in the “death care industry” as she somewhat ironically refers to it. An assistant director at an Ottawa funeral home. Back in early March we had a text message exchange in which she told me she was extremely stressed out. As this was relatively early in the Ottawa outbreak I was curious and asked her why. Her cryptic reply was that the numbers she was hearing in the local news “did not add up”. She also told me by the terms of her contract she wasn’t supposed to talk about cause of death regarding her work, so I let it go and that and wished her well.Just yesterday I was in Ottawa and offered to bring her some groceries, which I delivered to her garage, and we had a chance to talk further and she was even more stressed out. The situation in the intervening month had gotten worse. Much worse.Her original comment about the numbers not adding up was referring to a large uptick in deaths being handled by her funeral home. At the time Ottawa was reporting very low casualties from Covid, although bracing for more. But at the funeral home they were swamped with elderly cases who’s deaths were NOT being attributed to the virus, but were arriving in numbers that seemed almost statistically impossible.When the Coronavirus casualties started showing up she also saw a disconnect between cases they were handling, and what was being reported in the media. She said one night on the news they were reporting no new deaths that day, and she had just had to deal with 2 cases that same day who’s cause of death had been listed as Covid-19. Maybe just a lag in reporting time?Then she told me something that really shocked me. In normal times before this all started her funeral home was accustomed to dealing with 1-2 deaths by suicide every month, and a similar number of drug overdoses. Both categories totalling 15-20 per year. She says since the social isolating began in earnest a month ago, since the markets collapsed and people’s income and life savings have disappeared, coupled with an almost total breakdown in the mental health care system, they have handled hundreds of suicide and overdose clients.This aspect of the crisis we are all living through has gone completely unreported in the press. It’s a death total that dwarfs what is happening from the virus and she doesn’t see it getting any better. When this is over who knows how many thousands or tens of thousands may have chosen to take their own lives rather then face the grim future that lies ahead? It’s something the media needs to talk about.
Star Member mwooldri (8,961 posts) 1. Horrible phrase but "collateral damage" comes to mind.I agree that the death toll due to Covid-19 will be higher than stated. Suicides, other deaths that could have been prevented if we were not in a pandemic. People who died from "pneumonia" or other Covid-19 effects but not officially attributed to Covid-19.The figures we see on the TV and online are the official figures, and yes IMO the number is higher.
Star Member SheltieLover (1,980 posts) 2. WOW!And heart attack victims of covid, too. Not being reported.Thank you for sharing this with us. So sad.
Star Member csziggy (28,873 posts) 18. It could be a long time before we know the actual numbersThe figures for the Black Death in London are still being changed. I watched a documentary - "Secret History - Return of the Black Death " - the other night. Between finding new burials from the period and counting merchants' wills they brought up serious questions about the official death toll. Even so, the total deaths was horrendous.A few years ago I saw a documentary about the public death toll in San Francisco after the earthquake and fire. The conclusion was that the official numbers vastly under counted the dead, especially those who died in the fires.And of course, we know that there have been questions about the actual death toll along the Gulf Coast following Katrina. Most people concentrate on New Orleans but most of the Gulf Coast had severe destruction and people who went missing, many of whom may not have been counted as victims of the storm.Basically between cover-ups of the numbers at the time of a disaster by officials, loss of knowledge because of the chaos during and following the event, and then problems accurately counting in the aftermath, many deaths will not be attributed to the actual cause.
Star Member Wounded Bear (35,305 posts) 19. We will probably never know the real numbers...I read where the R0 for Captain Trumps is in the 3-5 range, which means that every infected person, on average, will infect that many others. Which infers that for every case we know of, there are at least 3-5 people out there we don't know about.Death rates in NYC are extremely high, and there is no way to know if all or any of the increase is due to CV.The US is just not counting the total number of cases in nursing homes, long-term care, and senior assited living facilities. They are not even trying to count them on a national basis.I doubt we'll ever truly know the extent of this.
stopdiggin (2,346 posts) 4. Two different things (and figures)although I quite understand where you see them as interrelated (as they quite obviously are).But "human costs", collateral damage and social costs (including deaths) are not the same thing as actual Covid deaths that are unreported. The under-reporting of actual virus related deaths is critical in that it corrupts the data and statistical modelling that are needed to fight the contagion itself. I will note that this under-reporting issue is being reported in major news outlets. Your friend is not alone in noticing frankly implausible numbers (and spikes) in total deaths during the period.
Star Member saidsimplesimon (7,154 posts) 9. The GOP doesn't wantto test and without accurate tracking, the US will be unprepared for the next wave.It will take years before the actual numbers are known, they may never be known.
Withywindle (8,635 posts) 16. Yes, and we'll be hearing more about thisThank you so much for the post and your friend's insights. And thank her for her service.I've always thought the death toll has to be much higher than the official figures. People are dying at home and not being reported as COVID-19 deaths. There have to be thousands of people who have died in their homes and haven't even been found yet! And I see today that a lot of nursing homes and elder care facilities are NOT reporting. People aren't being tested enough to find the true cause of death.
joanbarnes (1,601 posts) 17. Is this Ottawa Canada?
She says since the social isolating began in earnest a month ago, since the markets collapsed and people’s income and life savings have disappeared, coupled with an almost total breakdown in the mental health care system, they have handled hundreds of suicide and overdose clients.
True. It will take a while to clear all of the basements of America and check on all of the DUmbasses living there.
They're frozen in the basement of Trump Tower!
