A sobering number out of New York City today, as officials say more than 10,000 people have now died from coronavirus. NPR says the number now also reflects “probable victims who were not tested”:
For weeks, firefighters and paramedics have been recording a massive spike in deaths at home around New York City. The deceased were presumed to be victims of the coronavirus but were never tested. Now city officials have recalculated the toll that the virus has taken and reached a staggering number — adding nearly 4,000 to the total.
The Associated Press adds, “The change in the city’s accounting of deaths came after officials acknowledged that statistics based only on laboratory-confirmed tests were failing to account for many people dying at home before they reached a hospital or even sought treatment.”
The New York Times reports: This new number means, “Far more people have died in New York City, on a per-capita basis, than in Italy — the hardest-hit country in Europe.”
The Times points out that the new number doesn’t reflect “another grim reality”:
The outbreak is likely to have also led indirectly to a spike in deaths of New Yorkers who may never have been infected.
Three thousand more people died in New York City between March 11 and April 13 than would have been expected during the same time period in an ordinary year
The commissioner of the NYC Health Department said while these deaths weren’t due to coronavirus, it could be a result of “the normal health care system” being overwhelmed.