Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

WHO says real global COVID-19 deaths up to 3 times official figures

by French Press Agency - AFP

Geneva May 21, 2021 - 1:36 pm GMT+3
Ernesto Fabian Aguirre, a gravedigger in Memorial Cemetery, carries a coffin with his coworkers wearing protective equipment during an exercise for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) burials, after deaths surpass 70,000 amid a strong second wave of the pandemic and a slow vaccination process, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 17, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
Ernesto Fabian Aguirre, a gravedigger in Memorial Cemetery, carries a coffin with his coworkers wearing protective equipment during an exercise for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) burials, after deaths surpass 70,000 amid a strong second wave of the pandemic and a slow vaccination process, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 17, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
by French Press Agency - AFP May 21, 2021 1:36 pm
RECOMMENDED
World leaders from G7 and invited countries pose for a family photo, during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, May 20, 2023. (AFP Photo)

G-7 urges China to respect Taiwan, press Russia to end Ukraine war

group-of-seven

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that the pandemic has killed up to three times more people than officially reported deaths from COVID-19.

So far, more than 3.4 million deaths worldwide have officially been attributed to COVID-19 since the disease first surfaced in China in late 2019. But according to a global health statistics report from the WHO, far more people have died who would otherwise not have died had it not been for the pandemic, either due to COVID-19 or because they could not get treatment for other ailments.

"Total deaths are at least two to three times higher than officially reported," Samira Asma, the WHO assistant director-general in charge of data, told reporters.

In 2020, the report found there had been at least 3 million excess deaths due directly or indirectly to COVID-19, while the official number of COVID-19 deaths was 1.8 million at the end of the year.

At a regional level, excess mortality estimates for the Americas stood at up to 1.46 million, and as much as 1.21 million in the European region in 2020, representing 60% and 50% more than the reported COVID-19 deaths there, the report found.

Asked how many excess deaths could be attributed to the pandemic up to today globally, Asma said, "I think safely, about 6 to 8 million deaths could be an estimate." The WHO was working with countries "to understand the true human toll of the pandemic so we can be better prepared for the next emergency," she said.

The discrepancy is due to a number of factors, including lagging reporting on COVID-19 deaths in a number of countries and the fact that many people early on died of COVID-19 without being tested.

"This has resulted in many of the official COVID-19 statistics being an undercount," WHO data analyst William Msemburi told reporters. In addition, he said there "are the deaths that can be attributed to the difficult conditions that many people in the world are living under because of the pandemic."

Many people suffering from chronic diseases or acute illnesses other than COVID-19 have been unable to get treatment and access health care due to the measures imposed around the world aimed at reining in the pandemic.

The socioeconomic toll of lockdowns and other measures has also lead to significant increases in depression, and the WHO said there were indications of growing suicide rates in some parts of the world.

"Acknowledging that the reported COVID-19 numbers are only a fraction of this full impact, we have been looking at the excess mortality attributable to COVID-19 for the year 2020," Msemburi said.

This is essentially the difference between the total number of deaths that occurred that year and the deaths that would have been expected to occur had there not been a pandemic.

"Excess mortality gives us a better picture because it captures both of these direct and indirect effects," he said. It still remains unclear how many of the excess deaths counted last year could be directly attributable to COVID-19, he said, adding that the WHO was working to determine the best methods for identifying missed COVID-19 deaths.

The WHO said its excess death estimates were based on data analysis where possible, but also statistical modeling, due to a "critical data gap" in many countries, especially in terms of death registration.

While most countries do well in registering births, only 40% of the world's nations register at least 90% of deaths that occur, Asma said.

And there are huge regional discrepancies. While 98% of deaths are registered in Europe, only 10% of deaths in Africa are registered each year, the report showed. Asma called for countries to invest in scaling up their data and information systems, insisting: "We can only be better prepared with better data."

RECOMMENDED
World leaders from G7 and invited countries pose for a family photo, during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, May 20, 2023. (AFP Photo)

G-7 urges China to respect Taiwan, press Russia to end Ukraine war

group-of-seven
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: May 21, 2021 2:44 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    covid-19 outbreak coronavirus world health organization coronavirus death toll
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A crude oil tanker sails in the Bosporus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 11, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye registers better-than-expected current account gap

    current-account-balance
     Eastern Anatolian Fault line triggered another fault segment called the Sürgü fault, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Feb. 9, 2023. (DHA Photo)

    Accumulated tension of hundreds of years moved Anatolia by 3m

    Harold-Tobin

    Istanbul's spectacular, historical grand bazaars and markets

    Travel

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    Maiden's Tower, Turkey
    23 of the world's most photographed landmarks
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021