Death toll at start of Covid-19 pandemic likely higher than US count, study says

Finding suggests as many as 155,000 deaths, likely occurring outside of hospitals, not recognized at Covid related

The Covid-19 pandemic’s early death toll was much higher than the official US count, according to a new study that spotlights dramatic disparities in the uncounted deaths.

About 840,000 Covid-19 deaths were reported on death certificates in 2020 and 2021. But a group of researchers – using a form of artificial intelligence – estimate that as many as 155,000 unrecognized additional deaths likely occurred in that time outside of hospitals. That would mean about 16% of Covid-19 deaths went uncounted in those years.

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