A peer-reviewed study indicates that during the pandemic in Alberta, almost as many excess deaths were non-COVID related — mainly occurring among the province’s young.
The study covers 17 months, from January 2020 to May 2021, and examines the relationship between excess deaths by age group and deaths caused by COVID-19.
The results were striking.
“Increase in all cause-excess deaths was proportionately higher, and in significantly greater numbers, in the younger age groups,” researchers found.
“Although older adults are more likely to die of COVID-19, there was [a] massive increase in non-COVID-19 related mortality among the youth. These should be factored in public policy decisions on epidemic/pandemic management.”
Indeed, of all the excess deaths, 18.2 per cent (731 deaths) were from drug poisoning, mostly among those aged 25-60.
Furthermore, 27.9 per cent of all excess deaths were due to “other factors such as limited access to urgent medical care,” suggesting delays in the medical system due to the prioritization of COVID could have increased excess deaths.
Thus, while health officials attribute 53.9 per cent of excess deaths to COVID-19 (mainly among the elderly), the other 46.1 per cent were from non-COVID reasons (mainly among the young).
Additionally, December 2020 had the most excess deaths — which is precisely when restaurants, gyms, and places of worship were locked down for the second time.
The negative effects of government-mandated lockdowns are glaring.
Indeed, Alberta’s chief medical officer, Dr. Hinshaw, has fought a constitutional challenge against her government over these very pandemic-related restrictions. She’s already conceded that, despite the lockdowns, 96 per cent of the population was not at risk of dying from COVID.
While she will likely argue that lockdowns prevented more COVID deaths than they appear to have caused for non-COVID reasons, data released by the WHO suggests otherwise.
For example, Sweden’s refused to lock down citizens or businesses during the pandemic, which resulted in fewer excess COVID deaths in Sweden than what was experienced by the average country in Europe.
