Increased Deaths in Canada During COVID Lockdown

"It is important to provide people with the numbers, to say there was more death, there was a lot of COVID mortality. This is not [merely] influenza season."

"This is an impact to our health that we didn't see in previous years. It is higher than we ever had."

"If we didn't put those [lockdown] policies in place, we could see a lot more mortality."

"That's one of the most interesting parts of the study. There was a behaviour change there, in terms of people who would typically go to the hospital."

Laura Rosella, epidemiology professor, University of Toronto

"The study findings, alongside other similar studies, should be a wake-up call to those who think it is a hoax, exaggerated or just a bad flu."

Ronald Labonte, epidemiology professor, University of Ottawa

A body is removed after several residents died of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Eatonville Care Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada April 14, 2020. Carlos Osorio / Reuters

According to a new study, deaths in nursing homes soared compared to the numbers of deaths in previous years, even while people died in their own homes in numbers during the first wave of the novel coronavirus, at much higher rates than would have normally occurred. Evidence has been unearthed that COVID-19 significantly increased the overall death rates in Canada.

Half at the very least and in all likelihood more, of the thousands of increased deaths were a result of COVID-19 onset. At the same time many other deaths were held to reflect delayed or avoided medical care and other factors related to the coronavirus lockdown, according to the recently released research paper. Scientists from the University of Toronto, Western University and Ontario's chief coroner's office were responsible for the findings, based on provincial data for cremations which typically represent over 70 percent of the province's deaths.

Studies released in other parts of the world reflect similar conclusions. A similar, 35 percent increase in mortality was seen as well in Quebec, in comparison to the average for the three previous years, based on preliminary provincial data. COVID-19 is seen to have been responsible for 2,763 deaths in Ontario, 65 percent of which took place in nursing, or long-term care homes. This, in the absence of official death statistics from Ontario's vital-statistics office.

A woman prays as she leaves flowers outside Residence Herron, a senior’s long-term care facility, following a number of deaths since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in the suburb of Dorval in Montreal Quebec, Canada April 13, 2020. Christinne Muschi/Reuters

In studying monthly numbers of cremations for the past four years researchers found small increases in overall death numbers in January and February of 2020 as compared to the average for the previous three years, but steeper spikes were seen in the following three months, with the number of cremations rising from 517 in March to 1,830 in April. The analysis found the overall number of cremations for residents of long-term care facilities exceeded the average previously seen by 89 percent, in April.

A similar increase in the total deaths for individuals who passed away in their own homes came to over 60 percent in April and May. It is speculated that peoples' reluctance to seek medical help in hospitals for fear of contracting COVID-19 contributed to the situation where an  underlying illness led to infection and complications. The possibility of lockdown contributing to domestic violence or self-harm also saw speculation as to cause-and-effect.

The very fact that the COVID lockdown had an effect on people relating to difficulties in seeing medical personnel, in being admitted to hospitals gearing up for a flood-tide of COVID victims, leading to people not having the medical care required because of reluctance to visit a hospital, or delayed treatment or medical/surgical procedures delayed may all have played a role. It had been noted that cardiovascular specialists saw the numbers of people reporting to hospitals for heart attacks and strokes dropping wholesale during the lockdown; another contributing factor.

A man walks through a homeless camp where approximately 150 people are living at a parking lot on Port of Vancouver property adjacent to Crab Park, in Vancouver on June 10, 2020.. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck