Excess mortality in younger adults

NEJM, 

Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a co-author of this research letter, is also editor-in-chief of NEJM Journal Watch Cardiology.

Among U.S. adults aged 25 to 44, there were 19% more deaths than expected — or 12,000 people — from March through July 2020. In JAMA, the researchers — including Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who has been nominated to lead the CDC — report that 38% of this excess mortality was directly from COVID-19, but that proportion varied by region. Deaths from COVID-19 were similar to or exceeded unintentional deaths from opioids in this age group in 2018 in several areas of the country. The authors write that this may be an underestimate of the COVID-19 mortality burden in younger adults, as they may have been undertested.

JAMA research letter on excess mortality