Since January, media around the world has increasingly been fixated on China’s latest version of the coronavirus (COVID-19). This week the World Health Organization finally decided to call the spread of the disease for what it is, a pandemic. Many individuals feel that the WHO should have pulled the trigger much earlier.
Governments around the world are taking measures to protect their citizens by canceling flights and closing their boarders to travelers from the most infected countries, such as China. Even Canada, which has kept an open boarder policy during the outbreak and who’s Prime Minister’s wife brought the COVID-19 back with her on her last trip has finally begun to take more urgent action. Well, actually it’s the specific provinces, rather than the federal government that are trying the most to protect their residents.
But, has is it too late to stop the spread?… or as some believe, is it an over-reaction to a new version of the flu. Just what actions are merited by the actual facts of COVID-19?
Decide for yourself. Below are the current deaths attributed to COVID-19 compared to other causes of death.
The number of deaths due to COVID-19 versus other causes in 2020 as of 4:54pm EST today (March 14, 2020):
Coronavirus COVID-19: 5815
Coronary Artery Disease: 1,903,241
Stroke: 1,356,548
Lower Respiratory Tract Infection: 693,549
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: 689,132
Trachea, Bronchus, Lung Cancers: 368,306
Diabetes Mellitus: 344,637
Alzheimer Disease and Other Dementias: 335,180
Diarrhoeal Diseases: 301,810
Tuberculosis: 298,497
Road Injury: 291,749
Cirrhosis of the Liver: 252,612
Kidney Diseases: 245, 496
HIV/AIDS: 230,283
Preterm Birth Complications: 230,038
Preterm Birth Complications: 230,038
Hypertensive Heart Disease: 204,764
Liver Cancer: 171,271
Suicide: 171,271
Colorectal Cancer: 168,204
Stomach Cancer: 163,787
Birth Asphyxia and Birth Trauma: 150,291
Numbers based on WHO: Cause-Specific Mortality