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COVID-19 Facts (with focus on Massachusetts)

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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 hardest-hit European country of Belgium: 1,737 (1/2/2021)
    • Massachusetts’ rank among States, by deaths/million: 3rd (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.