Anacod: Analysing Mortality Levels & Cause-Of-Death Data
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Tracking COVID-19 As Cause of Death: Global Estimates of Relative Severity
Tracking COVID-19 as Cause of Death: Global Estimates of Relative Severity By Philip Schellekens and Diego Sourrouille* May 2020 ABSTRACT: Despite the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across countries, the global death toll remains highly concentrated in few high-income countries. Reported data suggests the developing world has been largely spared, yet a host of factors, not least demography, suggest that the observed discrepancy in the burden of mortality is likely significantly exaggerated. This paper tracks the severity implied by the reported data and relates it to pre-pandemic mortality patterns to get a feel for the discrepancies and inequalities. An indicator of “relative severity” is proposed to generate global comparisons across countries and over time. The methodology can be utilized to improve tracking systems and detect data anomalies that can then set the stage for further analysis. It should prove useful in getting a better grasp of the distribution and progression of the pandemic if or when the epicenters of the pandemic start shifting to the developing world. JEL: I10, J11 Keywords: Mortality; pandemic. * World Bank Group. Email correspondence: [email protected] and [email protected]. We would like to thank Syud Amer Ahmed, Pablo Cafiero, Marcio Cruz, Carl Dahlman, Indermit Gill, Huade Huo, Matthew Jones, Fabrice Lockefeer, Andrew Mason, Iris Pigeot, Bryce Quillin, Juan V. Sourrouille, Alfred Watkins, Juan Wisnivesky and Shahid Yusuf. 1. Introduction Views about the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak have evolved considerably. The initial outbreak was thought to be confined to China. Soon it spread across Asia and then the rest of the world. -
Near-Death Experiences and the Theory of the Extraneuronal Hyperspace
Near-Death Experiences and the Theory of the Extraneuronal Hyperspace Linz Audain, J.D., Ph.D., M.D. George Washington University The Mandate Corporation, Washington, DC ABSTRACT: It is possible and desirable to supplement the traditional neu rological and metaphysical explanatory models of the near-death experience (NDE) with yet a third type of explanatory model that links the neurological and the metaphysical. I set forth the rudiments of this model, the Theory of the Extraneuronal Hyperspace, with six propositions. I then use this theory to explain three of the pressing issues within NDE scholarship: the veridicality, precognition and "fear-death experience" phenomena. Many scholars who write about near-death experiences (NDEs) are of the opinion that explanatory models of the NDE can be classified into one of two types (Blackmore, 1993; Moody, 1975). One type of explana tory model is the metaphysical or supernatural one. In that model, the events that occur within the NDE, such as the presence of a tunnel, are real events that occur beyond the confines of time and space. In a sec ond type of explanatory model, the traditional model, the events that occur within the NDE are not at all real. Those events are merely the product of neurobiochemical activity that can be explained within the confines of current neurological and psychological theory, for example, as hallucination. In this article, I supplement this dichotomous view of explanatory models of the NDE by proposing yet a third type of explanatory model: the Theory of the Extraneuronal Hyperspace. This theory represents a Linz Audain, J.D., Ph.D., M.D., is a Resident in Internal Medicine at George Washington University, and Chief Executive Officer of The Mandate Corporation. -
No Autopsies on COVID-19 Deaths: a Missed Opportunity and the Lockdown of Science
Journal of Clinical Medicine Review No Autopsies on COVID-19 Deaths: A Missed Opportunity and the Lockdown of Science 1, 2, 3 1 1 Monica Salerno y, Francesco Sessa y , Amalia Piscopo , Angelo Montana , Marco Torrisi , Federico Patanè 1, Paolo Murabito 4, Giovanni Li Volti 5,* and Cristoforo Pomara 1,* 1 Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy; [email protected] (M.S.); [email protected] (A.M.); [email protected] (M.T.); [email protected] (F.P.) 2 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy; [email protected] 3 Department of Law, Forensic Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; [email protected] 4 Department of General surgery and medical-surgical specialties, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy; [email protected] 5 Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy * Correspondence: [email protected] (G.L.V.); [email protected] (C.P.); Tel.: +39-095-478-1357 or +39-339-304-6369 (G.L.V.); +39-095-378-2153 or +39-333-246-6148 (C.P.) These authors contributed equally to this work. y Received: 12 March 2020; Accepted: 13 May 2020; Published: 14 May 2020 Abstract: Background: The current outbreak of COVID-19 infection, which started in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in December 2019, is an ongoing challenge and a significant threat to public health requiring surveillance, prompt diagnosis, and research efforts to understand a new, emergent, and unknown pathogen and to develop effective therapies. -
The Decline in Child Mortality: a Reappraisal Omar B
Theme Papers The decline in child mortality: a reappraisal Omar B. Ahmad,1 Alan D. Lopez,2 & Mie Inoue3 The present paper examines, describes and documents country-specific trends in under-five mortality rates (i.e., mortality among children under five years of age) in the 1990s. Our analysis updates previous studies by UNICEF, the World Bank and the United Nations. It identifies countries and WHO regions where sustained improvement has occurred and those where setbacks are evident. A consistent series of estimates of under-five mortality rate is provided and an indication is given of historical trends during the period 1950–2000 for both developed and developing countries. It is estimated that 10.5 million children aged 0–4 years died in 1999, about 2.2 million or 17.5% fewer than a decade earlier. On average about 15% of newborn children in Africa are expected to die before reaching their fifth birthday. The corresponding figures for many other parts of the developing world are in the range 3–8% and that for Europe is under 2%. During the 1990s the decline in child mortality decelerated in all the WHO regions except the Western Pacific but there is no widespread evidence of rising child mortality rates. At the country level there are exceptions in southern Africa where the prevalence of HIV is extremely high and in Asia where a few countries are beset by economic difficulties. The slowdown in the rate of decline is of particular concern in Africa and South-East Asia because it is occurring at relatively high levels of mortality, and in countries experiencing severe economic dislocation. -
Cross-Country Evidence on the Association Between Contact Tracing
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Cross‑country evidence on the association between contact tracing and COVID‑19 case fatality rates Abdullah Yalaman1*, Gokce Basbug2, Ceyhun Elgin3 & Alison P. Galvani4 The coronavirus disease (COVID‑19) outbreak has killed over a million people since its emergence in late 2019. However, there has been substantial variability in the policies and intensity of diagnostic eforts between countries. In this paper, we quantitatively evaluate the association between national contact tracing policies and case fatality rates of COVID‑19 in 138 countries. Our regression analyses indicate that countries that implement comprehensive contact tracing have signifcantly lower case fatality rates. This association of contact tracing policy and case fatality rates is robust in our longitudinal regression models, even after controlling for the number of tests conducted and non‑ pharmaceutical control measures adopted by governments. Our results suggest that comprehensive contact tracing is instrumental not only to curtailing transmission but also to reducing case fatality rates. Contact tracing achieves the early detection and isolation of secondary cases which are particularly important given that the peak in infectiousness occurs during the presymptomatic phase. The early detection achieved by contact tracing accelerates the rate at which infected individuals receive medical care they need to maximize their chance of recovery. In addition, the combination of reduced transmission and more rapid recovery diminishes the burden on the healthcare system which in turn ensures that the resources remain available for individuals who do become infected. Te ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has spread to 213 countries and territories, causing more than 47,000,000 cases and over 1.2 million deaths as of November 2020. -
Cause and Manner of Death
Cause and Manner of Death Cause of death is a medical opinion which is expressed in two parts. The first is a description of the condition or conditions which directly led to death. When multiple, they are listed in reverse chronological order. The first condition listed is the immediate cause of death, i.e. the condition which caused the individual to die at that time and in that place. The last condition listed is the proximate (or underlying) cause of death, i.e. the condition which started a chain of events leading to death. In some cases, these are one and the same—for example, “Toxic effects of cocaine”. More commonly, the chain has multiple links. For instance, if an individual suffered brain injury from a fall and, while bedridden and unconscious, developed pneumonia which led to death, his or her cause of death could be listed as, “Pneumonia, due to blunt force head trauma, due to fall.” The second part of the cause of death statement is a list of conditions which did not directly cause death but were contributing factors. For instance, the individual in the example above might have had severe emphysema and, because of this, have been at increased risk of developing pneumonia. Manner of death is a medicolegal determination that groups deaths into categories for public health purposes. It is based upon the proximate cause of death. In the example above, although the immediate cause of death was pneumonia, the proximate cause was a fall. Therefore, the manner of death is accident. An excellent description of the five commonly used manners of death is provided by the National Association of Medical Examiners: “Natural deaths are due solely or nearly totally to disease and/or the aging process. -
MAIN CAUSES of MORTALITY Over 5 200 000 People Died in EU Countries in 2015 Diseases, Followed by Pneumonia (See Indicator (Figure 3.7)
II.3. HEALTH STATUS MAIN CAUSES OF MORTALITY Over 5 200 000 people died in EU countries in 2015 diseases, followed by pneumonia (see indicator (Figure 3.7). An unusual large increase in the number of “Mortality from respiratory diseases”). deaths in 2015 explains the reduction in life External causes of death, which include accidents, expectancy in many countries compared with 2014 (see suicides, homicides and other violent causes of death, indicator “Trends in life expectancy”). The higher were responsible for 3% of all deaths among women and number of deaths in 2015 across EU countries was 6% of deaths among men in EU countries in 2015. The concentrated mainly among people aged 75 and over, most important causes of violent deaths are road traffic and was attributed mainly to higher mortality from accidents and other accidental deaths, and suicides. influenza and pneumonia triggering cardiorespiratory Road traffic accidents are a particularly important cause events, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and of death among young people (aged 18-25), whereas heart diseases. suicide rates generally increase with age. Slightly more women than men died across EU More than 80% of all deaths in EU countries occur countries in 2015, as there are more women in the after the age of 65. While the main cause of death population, particularly in older age groups. Once the among people aged over 65 is circulatory diseases, the population structure is adjusted by age, the age- main cause for people under 65 is cancer, particularly standardised mortality rate was about 50% higher among women (Eurostat, 2018). -
Preliminary Review on Excessive Heat Deaths
Preliminary Review on Excessive Heat Deaths Multnomah County June 2021 1 The heat dome that settled over Multnomah County and the Portland metro area from June 25 to June 28, 2021, created an extreme heat event that occurred both earlier in the summer, before residents naturally acclimate to warmer temperatures, and at a prolonged intensity never experienced before. High daytime temperatures reached triple digits for three days, peaking at 116º F at Portland International Airport on June 28, with little of the overnight cooling the region has historically depended upon. The magnitude of the heat was not just unprecedented for the temperate Pacific Northwest, but it also was exceedingly rare for most of the United States. This heat resulted in the deaths of at least 54 Multnomah County residents. Most of those who died were older, lived alone and had no air conditioning. Most were white, and most were men. While the County responded with the full set of public health interventions — intensive communication, outreach and public cooling spaces — we are humbled by the death toll and are committed to learning all we can about who succumbed and why. We also want to acknowledge the dedication of death investigators from the Multnomah County Medical Examiners Program who responded in person throughout this mass casualty event, then worked with Public Health to analyze and characterize what happened in order to share these findings with the community. The following report is a preliminary look at confirmed deaths due to hyperthermia (which literally means “excessive heat”). We expect numbers to change and our understanding of this event to evolve. -
Global Atlas of Palliative Care at the End of Life
Global Atlas of Palliative Care at the End of Life January 2014 Acknowledgements and authorship Edited by: Stephen R. Connor, PhD, Senior Fellow to the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA). Maria Cecilia Sepulveda Bermedo, MD, Senior Adviser Cancer Control, Chronic Diseases Prevention and Management, Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion, World Health Organization. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy or views of the World Health Organization. This publication was supported in part by a grant from the Open Society Foundations’ International Palliative Care Initiative. Special thanks to Mary Callaway and Dr Kathleen Foley. Contributing writers: Sharon Baxter, MSW, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, Canada Samira K. Beckwith, ACSW, LCSW, FACHE, Hope Hospice, Ft Myers, FL, USA David Clark, PhD – University of Glasgow, Scotland James Cleary, MD – Pain and Policies Study Group, Madison, WI, USA Dennis Falzon, MD – WHO Global TB Program, WHO Geneva Philippe Glaziou, MD, MPhil, Dip Stat – WHO Global TB Program, WHO Geneva Peter Holliday, St. Giles Hospice, Litchfield, England Ernesto Jaramillo, MD – WHO Global TB Program, WHO Geneva Eric L. Krakauer, MD, PhD – Harvard Medical School Center for Palliative Care, Boston, MA, USA Suresh Kumar, MD – Neighborhood Network in Palliative Care, Kerala, India Diederik Lohman – Human Rights Watch, New York, USA Thomas Lynch, PhD – International Observatory for End of Life Care, Lancaster, England Paul Z. Mmbando (MBChB, MPH, DrH) Evangelical Lutheran Church, Arusha, Tanzania Claire Morris, Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance, London, England Daniela Mosoiu, MD – Hospice Casa Sperantei, Brasov, Romania Fliss Murtagh FRCP PhD MRCGP, Cicely Saunders Institute, Kings College London Roberto Wenk, MD – Programa Argentino de Medicina Paliativa Fundación, Argentina In addition, the editors would like to thank the following: All WHO collaborating centres on palliative care (see appendix for details) Ricardo X. -
The Persistent Vegetative State: an Impetus for Redefining Death
Messiah University Mosaic Faculty Scholarship Papers Office ofaculty F Development 2011 The Persistent Vegetative State: An Impetus for Redefining Death Sheri Boyce Messiah College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/facscholar Part of the Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Biology Commons, and the Philosophy of Science Commons Permanent URL: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/facscholar/2 Recommended Citation Boyce, Sheri, "The Persistent Vegetative State: An Impetus for Redefining Death" (2011). Faculty Scholarship Papers. 2. https://mosaic.messiah.edu/facscholar/2 Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation in church and society. www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 The Persistent Vegetative State: An Impetus for Redefining Death Sheri L. Boyce Medical advances such as improved life support and better interventions in emergency medicine have saved countless lives. However, that same technology can at times prevent death while doing little or nothing to restore the fullness of a patient's life, which has in turn fueled the debate over the morality of euthanasia or "hastening" death. But an accurate discussion of death and dying requires a discussion of what it means to be alive - what is it that makes us human and when do we cease to be human? In other words, when does life end and death begin? In the past, this was a simple question to answer, but the increasing sophistication of medical treatment has blurred the distinction to the point where perhaps death should be redefined in terms of person hood rather thar.i biological criteria I. -
2018 Infant Mortality and Selected Birth Characteristics
OCTOBER 2020 Infant Mortality and Selected Birth Characteristics 2019 South Carolina Residence Data and Environmental Control Vital Statistics CR-012142 11/19 Executive Summary Infant mortality, defined as the death of a live-born baby before his or her first birthday, reflects the overall state of a population’s health. The infant mortality rate is the number of babies who died during the first year of life for every 1,000 live births. The South Carolina (SC) Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) collects and monitors infant mortality data to improve the health of mothers and babies in our state. In 2019, there were 391 infants who died during the first year of life. While the most recent national data shows that the US infant mortality rate in 2018 (5.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births)1 surpassed the Healthy People (HP) 2020 Goal of no more than 6.0 infant deaths per 1,000 live births2, the SC infant mortality rate is still higher than the HP target despite a decrease of 4.2% from 7.2 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 6.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2019. The racial disparity for infant mortality remains a concern in SC, and the gap is now at its widest point in 5 years (see Figure 1 below). The infant mortality rate among births to minority women remained moderately constant from 2018 to 2019 (11.1 and 11.2, respectively) while the infant mortality rate among births to white mothers decreased 9.8% from 5.1 in 2018 to 4.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2019. -
Fueling Extinction: How Dirty Energy Drives Wildlife to the Brink
Fueling Extinction: How Dirty Energy Drives Wildlife to the Brink The Top Ten U.S. Species Threatened by Fossil Fuels Introduction s Americans, we are living off of energy sources produced That hasn’t stopped oil and gas companies from gobbling in the age of the dinosaurs. Fossil fuels are dirty. They’re up permits and leases for millions of acres of our pristine Adangerous. And, they’ve taken an incredible toll on our public land, which provides important wildlife habitat and country in many ways. supplies safe drinking water to millions of Americans. And the industry is demanding ever more leases, even though it is Our nation’s threatened and endangered wildlife, plants, birds sitting on thousands of leases it isn’t using—an area the size of and fish are among those that suffer from the impacts of our Pennsylvania. fossil fuel addiction in the United States. This report highlights ten species that are particularly vulnerable to the pursuit Oil companies have generated billions of dollars in profits, and of oil, gas and coal. Our outsized reliance on fossil fuels and paid their senior executives $220 million in 2010 alone. Yet the impacts that result from its development, storage and ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP combined have reduced transportation is making it ever more difficult to keep our vow to their U.S. workforce by 11,200 employees since 2005. protect America’s wildlife. The American people are clearly getting the short end of the For example, the Arctic Ocean is home to some of our most stick from the fossil fuel industry, both in terms of jobs and in beloved wildlife—polar bears, whales, and seals.