COVID-19 Facts (with focus on Massachusetts)

last updated 01/02/2021

BASIC STATS ON COVID-19 DEATHS IN MASSACHUSETTS

Average age of COVID-19 death in Massachusetts: 81yrs[1]
Proportion of COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts associated with an underlying condition: 98.2%[2]
Proportion of COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts in Long Term Care facilities: 58.7% (see here)

HOW DOES OUR REGION COMPARE TO OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD?

Massachusetts has suffered more COVID-19 deaths/million than all European countries and all US States except New Jersey and New York:
- COVID-19 cumulative deaths/million in Massachusetts: 1,814 (worldometers, 1/2/2021)
- COVID-19 cumulative deaths/million in the USA: 1,080 (worldometers, 1/2/2021)
- COVID-19 cumulative deaths/million in hardest-hit European country of Belgium: 1,737 (1/2/2021)
- Massachusetts’ rank among States, by deaths/million: 3^rd (after New Jersey and New York)
As of 1/2/20, Hampshire County has suffered more COVID-19 deaths/million than the US National average and most European countries including Italy, the UK, Spain (and many more than Sweden)
- COVID-19 cumulative deaths/million in Hampshire County: 1,250 (calculated from here and here, 1/2/2020)
- Italy 1,241; UK 1,096; Spain 1,087; Sweden 861 (worldometers, 1/2/2021)

WHEN DID MOST COVID-19 DEATHS IN MASSACHUSETTS HAPPEN? AND ARE WE STILL SEEING HIGH EXCESS MORTALITY?

The large majority of Massachusetts’ COVID-19 deaths occurred before July 2020 (e.g., see here, scroll down to plot of Daily Reported Deaths, observe area under curve)
From early April to early June 2020, Massachusetts saw thousands of excess deaths, compared to recent prior years (see here – scroll down to the plot and select Massachusetts as the jurisdiction).
Since July 2020, Massachusetts has recorded:
- ~3,800 COVID-19 deaths (calculated by subtracting deaths here from deaths here)
- fewer than 100 excess deaths in total from any cause, compared to recent prior years (see here, true of data reported up to 1/2/2021).
- The above two facts clearly do not square with each other. See here for a discussion of whether we have been over-attributing deaths to COVID-19 in Massachusetts in recent months.

[1] In the two weeks leading up to Dec 26, 2020. This figure has hovered at 80-82 yrs for the entire pandemic.

[2] Cumulative up to and including 12/29/2020. See page 45 of this report.

Covid Balance