Most analyses regarding the excess risk of death during the COVID-19 pandemic have relied on summary data. However, a recent study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology instead analyzed individual patient-level data based on medical records from the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States.
The research involved a cohort of over five million patients receiving care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for two years before and two years after the pandemic. Overall, there were a total of 103,164 excess deaths observed during the pandemic. The team found that the frailest patients and those with the highest comorbidities had the highest absolute excess death rates. Meanwhile, the least frail patients and those with the lowest comorbidities were found to have the largest relative increases in death rates compared to pre-pandemic levels.
These findings underscore the importance of individual-level data in understanding COVID-19's impact and highlight how different groups may have been affected by the pandemic.
To learn more, read the article: “Excess mortality in US Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic: an individual-level cohort study”
Weinberger DM, Bhaskaran K, Korves C, et al. Excess mortality in US Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic: an individual-level cohort study. Int J Epidemiol. Published online October 6, 2023. doi:10.1093/ije/dyad136