Excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, Canada

Sanjay Beesoon; Jeffrey A Bakal; Erik Youngson; Kienan P Williams; Sandra A Berzins; Mary E Brindle; A Mark Joffe

doi:10.1016/j.ijregi.2022.08.011

Excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, Canada

IJID Reg. 2022 Dec:5:62-67. doi: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2022.08.011. Epub 2022 Aug 30.

Authors

Sanjay Beesoon¹, Jeffrey A Bakal^{2

3

4}, Erik Youngson^{2

3}, Kienan P Williams⁵, Sandra A Berzins^{1

6

7}, Mary E Brindle¹, A Mark Joffe^{4

8}

Affiliations

¹ Surgery Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
² Provincial Research Data Services, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
³ Data and Research Services, Alberta SPOR SUPPORT Unit, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
⁵ Indigenous Wellness Core, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
⁶ Departments of Psychiatry and Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
⁷ Mathison Centre for Mental Health Education and Research, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
⁸ Cancer Care Alberta, Clinical Support Services and Provincial Clinical Excellence, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine if there was excess mortality in Alberta, Canada during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, to confirm if excess mortality affected all age groups equally, and to determine what proportions of excess deaths were directly related to COVID-19 and non-pharmaceutical drug poisoning.

Methods: Weekly all-cause data used to estimate excess mortality were modelled against the pre-pandemic period (January 2015-February 2020). Age-adjusted weekly mortality rates for March 2020 to December 2021 were compared with the preceding 5 years.

Results: From March 2020 to December 2021, there was an 11% excess mortality rate, corresponding to an average of 265 monthly excess deaths (maximum >30%). COVID-19-related deaths (n=3202) accounted for 54.9% of total excess deaths (n=5833) that occurred in the 22-month period. The increase in all-cause excess deaths was proportionately higher, and with significantly greater numbers, in younger age groups. Significant increases in monthly drug poisoning deaths occurred from March 2020 to April 2021, with a total of 1819 deaths. Eight hundred and 25 excess drug poisoning deaths, representing 25.4% of total all-cause excess deaths, occurred, mainly among those aged 25-60 years. Overall, 54.9% of all excess deaths were directly related to COVID-19 and 25.4% were related to drug poisoning.

Conclusions: There was a significant increase in all-cause mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although older adults are more likely to die of COVID-19, a massive increase in non-COVID-19-related mortality was observed among younger people. These factors should be considered in public policy decisions on epidemic/pandemic management.