COVID-19 has claimed far more lives than reported, according to study

According to a recent journal report from the American Medical Association, a far greater proportion of the American population have died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; citing a discrepancy in the number of cases being reported.

The report cites that "for every two Americans that we know of who are dying of COVID-19, another American is dying", using data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Census Bureau.

The study found, through using data between March and July, that there were 225,530 "excess deaths" (20% higher than average number of deaths in the same time period). Excess deaths refer to the number of fatalities above what could be expected within a particular time period. Furthermore, 67% of the excess deaths were directly attributed to the pandemic, with the remaining 33% without a clear explanation - possibly due to a misreporting of any pandemic related deaths.

The study also gives an insight into an increased mortality rate, especially due to the changing public health dynamics in the midst of a global pandemic, which led to an increase in substance abuse, inhibited access to medical care, and a significant economic decline.