New York City’s death toll from the coronavirus may be thousands of fatalities worse than the tally kept by the city and state, according to an analysis released Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Between March 11 and May 2, about 24,000 more people died in the city than researchers would ordinarily expect during that time period, the report said.
That’s about 5,300 more deaths than were blamed on the coronavirus in official tallies during those weeks.
Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.
Some of those excess fatalities could be COVID-19 deaths that went uncounted because a person died at home, or without medical providers realizing they were infected, the researchers at New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said.
It might also represent a ripple effect of the health crisis, they wrote. Public fear over contracting the virus and the enormous strain on hospitals might have led to delays in people seeking or receiving lifesaving care for unrelated conditions like heart disease or diabetes.
“Tracking excess mortality is important to understanding the contribution to the death rate from both COVID-19 disease and the lack of availability of care for non-COVID conditions,” the report said.

Read more:
Coronavirus adds fuel to migration from high-cost cities in US
New York rolling out training for coronavirus detectives
Research predicts ‘end date’ of coronavirus crisis in US, UK, Italy, France, Spain
The report underscored the challenges authorities face in quantifying the human toll of the crisis. Deaths caused by the coronavirus are believed to be undercounted worldwide, due in large part to limits in testing and the different ways countries count the dead.
Through Sunday, New York City had recorded nearly 14,800 deaths confirmed by a lab test and another nearly 5,200 probable deaths where no test was available but doctors are sure enough to list the virus on the death certificate.
In its analysis, the report released Monday said the 5,293 excess deaths were on top of both confirmed and probable fatalities.
-
US death toll estimated to rise when states lift coronavirus restrictions: Expert
As more US states move to lift coronavirus restrictions, a closely watched model for gauging the disease’s spread continues to raise its estimate for ... Reports -
New York mayor sounds alarm over potentially coronavirus-linked rare syndrome
New York’s Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday voiced “tremendous concern” over an uptick in cases of a pediatric syndrome that scientists suspect could be ... Coronavirus -
Three members of White House coronavirus team, including Dr. Fauci, face quarantine
Three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, placed themselves in quarantine after contact with someone who ... Coronavirus