The ‘grey zone’ hindering efforts to count Canada’s COVID-19 deaths – CTV
March 2, 2022
Along with a drop in the seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases, Canadians have also been seeing a decline in virus-related deaths. From the end of January to the end of February, the weekly average of deaths linked to COVID-19 dropped to 0.16 from 0.44 per 100,000 people. Recent statistics, however, are showing a steady increase in the weekly average of COVID-19-related deaths logged in Canada. As of Feb. 28, the rate is 0.21 per 100,000 people.
Being able to tell the difference between whether a person has died from COVID-19 or a separate cause while infected with the virus is important in understanding the overall trajectory of the pandemic, said Omar Khan, a professor of biomedical engineering and immunology at the University of Toronto. The key lies in identifying the impact of underlying conditions on overall health, he said.
