Spike in US deaths and cases flagged as pneumonia suggest even greater COVID-19 impact

Federal data released this week shows that the number of deaths recorded in the U.S. this year is higher than normal, outpacing deaths attributed to COVID-19 in states that have been hit hardest by the virus.The data provides the first look at death trends this year across the country and offers more evidence that the official tally of coronavirus deaths is low.The phenomenon is pronounced in states with some of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks. From March 22 to April 11, New York saw 14,403 more deaths than the average of the previous six years, according to data maintained by the l Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New Jersey saw an additional 4,439 deaths and Michigan an additional 1,572.

The "excess deaths" surpassed COVID-19 fatalities in those states by a combined 4,563 people. Experts suspect that unconfirmed coronavirus cases could be responsible for some of those deaths, but it might also be related to a shift in other causes of death. For example, some doctors speculate people might be dying from illnesses from which they would normally recover because the pandemic has changed access to health care."When we begin to look at it retrospectively, it's going to help discern, or maybe develop a more accurate estimate of what the true number of deaths might have been from COVID-19,” said Dr. Matthew Boulton, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health who also serves as Editor-in-Chief for the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

It's more difficult to gauge how much of a factor the missing COVID-19 deaths could be when looking at the entire country.

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IMF may approve Nigeria’s $3.4bn loan today

There are strong indications that the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund may approve the $3.4bn loan sought by Nigeria on Tuesday (today). Although the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, had on April 6, while announcing that Nigeria had applied for the loan, said the funds were expected within six to 12 weeks, Reuters and Bloomberg reported that the IMF would meet over the request today. The reports quoted unofficial sources in the IMF. If approved, the loan would be among the largest allocations by the IMF to an African country in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected that the IMF Executive Board would approve the loan having already approved similar requests for several countries. According to the IMF, about 102 countries applied for aid as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, had in a statement on April 7 said the organ...

Coronavirus - FG seeks COVID-19 patients for herbal drug trials

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CORONAVIRUS - Osun records third COVID-19 death

Osun State Government on Saturday announced the death of another COVID-19 patient, taking the number of death linked to the disease to three in the last week. Also, three health workers that had initially tested positive to the disease in the state have fully recovered.The State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu, in a statement, said the deceased in her late 60s died at the isolation centre in General Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo. Isamotu also said COVID-19 index case in the state had been discharged after spending thirty-eight days in isolation. He explained that the case had arrived in Osun State from the United Kingdom before being taken into the Isolation Centre, and subsequently to the care facility, where he received medical care for 38 days. He was said to have tested negative twice for the virus. He recalled that the health workers had last Wednesday, tested negative for COVID-19 but had to be subjected to a second round of tests, in line with the protocol of...

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