Canada’s first wave of Covid-19 sparked a jump in deaths, particularly among the elderly and women, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.
The agency reported that there were more than 7,500 excess deaths — mortality numbers that exceed typical trends — over the first three months of the pandemic (from March to the end of May).
That trend subsided through the summer: from June through the end of September, national death rates have declined to their historical levels, StatsCan reported, although things may be shifting again as a second wave of infections has emerged.
During the first wave, the vast majority (88%) of the excess deaths came in people aged 65 and over, StatsCan reported.
Just over half (52%) of the excess deaths reported in the spring were among people aged 85 and older, and another 36% were in those aged 65-84.
“This reflects the fact that deaths caused directly by Covid-19 disproportionately affected the elderly,” StatsCan said.
The agency also reported that women suffered a higher share of the excess deaths, accounting for 53% of the added deaths and reflecting the fact that women make up a higher share of those aged 85 and over.
StatsCan noted that among younger age groups, more men than women have died of Covid-19.
While Covid-19 has been the predominant factor in Canada’s excess deaths this year, it has also had a variety of indirect impacts too — contributing to mortality trends through missed or delayed medical treatments for other conditions as well as contributing to increased drug abuse during the pandemic.
For instance, while there was no excess death at the national level through the summer, StatsCan reported that, “British Columbia was the only province to record consecutive weeks of excess deaths in August and September, which may reflect increases in the number of deaths due to accidental overdoses.”
To some extent, these indirect effects have been offset by fewer traffic-related deaths and workplace accidents.