The fallout numbers from the worldwide lockdowns are weighing heavily in Canada, with statisticians reporting that four times as many Canadians died from indirect causes of the lockdown than the number that died from COVID itself.
A government report, “Provisional Death Counts and Excess Mortality,” shows that 5,535 Canadians under the age of 65 died between January 2020 to April 2021 because of “indirect consequences” due to the pandemic. During that same time frame, the report says 1,380 Canadians in the same age group died because of COVID-19 itself. Indirect consequences include “delayed medical procedures, increased substance use or a decline in deaths attributable to other causes, such as influenza,” according to the report.
Shutdowns forced more Canadians to stay at home and the cancellation or postponement of medical procedures and vital support services, while many businesses were forced to close. During that time, Statistics Canada confirmed that substance abuse increased as did the mortality rate.
Most of the people who died from COVID-19 in Canada were over the age of 85 and had dementia, Alzheimer’s, chronic heart disease or other pre-existing “cardiovascular and respiratory conditions,” the report said.
SOURCES:
Statistics Canada July 18, 2021
Statistics Canada Provisional Death Counts and Excess Mortality report July 12, 2021