Excess Mortality Among US Physicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In the US, the COVID-19 pandemic has already resulted in over 1 million excess deaths. A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine confirms that more US physicians died from March 2020 to December 2021 than usual. Using data from the American Medical Association, JAMA examined death rates for US physicians using the Deceased Physician File. From March 2020 to December 2021, of approximately 800,000 physicians who practiced monthly, 4,511 physicians died. That was 622 more deaths than expected based on mortality rates before the pandemic. Roughly two-thirds of the deaths were men. The author expressed concern about preparedness for a future pandemic and called for stockpiles of personal protective equipment that are more reliable than the spoiled shipments many encountered, perhaps buttressed with domestic manufacturing.
Excess Mortality Among US Physicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Kiang, Carlasare, Israni; JAMA Intern Med., 2/6).
