Since the beginning of the pandemic three years ago, more than 1.12 million Americans have died of COVID-19 infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). New York was one of the hardest hit cities, with the number of total and probable deaths more than 45,000. But how do we know that those were deaths from COVID and not deaths with COVID? 

As of March 31, 2023, 38,764 of the 45,156 deaths in NYC were confirmed with a positive molecular test, which detects genetic material of the virus, while the remaining deaths —classified as “probable” — had “COVID-19 or similar” listed as cause of death without confirmation. This type of death reporting has led to some confusion about whether people are actually dying from COVID, or if COVID is listed on death certificates even if it was not the infection that resulted in death.

There are good reasons for this confusion. For example, how can we be sure hospitals are reporting accurately? And what about people who die at home without taking a COVID test — how are they accounted for? 

This confusion has, in turn, sown unwarranted doubt over whether COVID really is deadly — emphasized in a recent opinion piece in the Washington Post by Dr. Leana Wen, who supports the claim that COVID deaths are overcounted. The evidence suggests, however, that COIVID-19 is indeed deadly — and that deaths may, in fact, have been undercounted.

Source: CDC

One way of understanding the death toll is looking at how many extra deaths have happened during the pandemic, using a measure called excess mortality, or excess deaths. In an interview with the AMNews, Dr. Yea-Hung Chen, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, described one way of thinking of excess mortality: “It’s this thought exercise of imagining this magical world where the pandemic never happened…..It asks the question of ‘Had the pandemic not occurred, how many deaths would we have expected to see?’”

Dr. Jonathan Wakefield, a biostatistician at University of Washington and member of the Technical Advisory Group of the World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Mortality Assessment Group, explained in an interview with the AmNews why excess mortality is a more “robust measure” for assessing pandemic deaths.

“In general, it is not straightforward to unambiguously define a COVID death. Not only do COVID COVID death assignment procedures vary from country to country, they also vary in time within countries as, for example, testing capabilities change, so to establish a COVID death is not always straightforward… Scientifically, excess mortality is more justifiable because it’s a much easier quantity to estimate: it’s more clear-cut, instead of ambiguous, and also can’t be politicized so easily.” 

The data do show that COVID is causing excess deaths on the population level. Wakefield emphasized that “there is no question that there were a huge number of excess deaths in the United States.” The WHO estimates he worked on indicated that in 2020 and 2021, there were 932,458 excess deaths in the United States. As of this writing, the CDC places the total number of excess deaths in the pandemic period in the U.S. at 1.31 million: 215,527 more than the official death count from COVID. 

Globally, Wakefield’s research suggests that there were 14.91 million excess deaths in the years 2020-2021, with most of these likely attributable to COVID. That is 2.75 times the deaths reported as COVID deaths. Evidence also suggests that undercounting is more common in Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities. 

Data in this chart is from August 2020.

One counter argument suggests that some of these deaths may result from other COVID-related events, such as restrictions put in place at accessing hospitals as a result of lockdown measures. Even if some excess deaths may have resulted from other pandemic-related issues, both researchers emphasize that COVID is the main culprit. Chen explained that the timing of excess deaths matters: According to the CDC, excess deaths that are not classified as COVID deaths “peak at around the same time as excess deaths,” a pattern that would be expected only if COVID is driving these deaths.

Another argument claims that hospitals are misreporting COVID deaths. The argument suggests that people are dying with COVID, rather than from COVID. Dr. Chen responded to this theory by saying: “If you look at out of hospital settings, you see this massive, massive difference between COVID deaths and excess deaths, and we think that is very indicative of underreporting of COVID, to the extent that even if there are isolated cases of this with COVID or from COVID being an issue in hospitals, it is far outweighed by the home deaths’ underreporting and also the likelihood that in-hospital reporting probably, in general, follows the CDC guidelines.”

Wakefield allowed for the potential of discrepancies in reporting, noting that across states and countries it is difficult to accurately count COVID deaths. He emphasized that this is why excess mortality is a valuable measure, particularly in a country with death records as relatively robust as the United States: “It’s impossible that this excess mortality doesn’t exist… The science is quite clear here. There was a huge excess.”
For additional resources about COVID-19, visit www1.nyc.gov/site/coronavirus/index.page or call 311. COVID-19 testing, masks, and vaccination resources can also be accessed on the AmNews COVID-19 page: www.amsterdamnews.com/covid/.

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Trump was barely sequestered in his haven in Palm Beach when he unleashed a barrage of reactions to his indictment and arraignment.  According to one account, he was practically inaudible when he said “Not guilty” to the 34 felony counts against him.
But he was loud and vociferous back in Mar-a-Lago, defining the court appearance and the charges “an insult to our country.” Aha, those are just the words we can slap on him, like the ones seen repeatedly at Tuesday’s counter demonstration outside the Manhattan courthouse.

Trump, your behavior epitomizes that statement because you are “an insult to our country.” Not to gloat, but we were hoping to see you fingerprinted and shackled with an accompanying mugshot. Alas, it’s embarrassing enough, perhaps, to have you mocked on social media, a sad clown resorting to no end in your quest for power and prestige.
The signs outside the Manhattan Criminal Courts said it all for us: “Trump the thug,” “Not above the law,” and “Lock him up!” The largest one outlined on the ground at the park across the street from the courthouse repeated the large banner emblazoned with the words “Don’t Buy Trump’s Lies.”

Unfortunately, we know that far too many Americans still embrace his lies, and a host of them are poised to carry out his provocations. That’s a sad commentary on the espoused American creed, and we have to chuckle at Trump’s recent Tweet that he can’t believe his arrest is happening in America. Well, arraigned one, you better believe and get ready for more rounds of “insult” as you call the drumbeat of justice.

Over the next several months we are sure to witness more charges against him and more inane responses as we move toward the trial date. And, to be sure, he’s going to use all the media attention to his advantage, so don’t go for the dope’s hooey. Don’t buy the lies.

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* This article was originally published here

The Knicks came close to acquiring local product Donovan Mitchell, a 26-year-old four-time All-Star, from the Utah Jazz late last summer. Now they’ll face the Elmsford, New York, native in the first round of the playoffs in a little over a week.

When the NBA schedule began last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who parted with three first-round draft picks and three players last September to obtain Mitchell, had clinched the No. 4 postseason seed in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks, who took a four-game winning streak into Indiana to play the Pacers last night, went in as a near certainty to be the No. 5 seed. They were 46–33 and three games up on the 43–36 Brooklyn Nets with just three games—now two—left for both teams. 

The 46 wins were the most for the Knicks since the 2012–’13 campaign, when they ended the regular season 54–28 under former head coach Mike Woodson. That team, led by Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, lost to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals 4–2. 

The Knicks have a reasonable chance to defeat the Cavaliers in their imminent best-of-seven series that will open in Cleveland—contingent on the health of their All-Star forward Julius Randle. The Knicks have fared well with Randle recovering from an ankle sprain sustained on March 29 at Madison Square Garden in a 101–92 win over the Miami Heat. Randle, who leads the Knicks in points (25.1) and rebounds (10), will be out until at least the start of the playoffs. As of today, it is uncertain whether he will be ready to return for Game 1 of the series versus the Cavaliers. 

Without Randle being able to perform at a level close to what he has this season, the Knicks’ prospects of getting by the Cavaliers are dubious. 

The playoffs begin on April 15. The schedule will be released by the NBA next week after the regular season concludes this Sunday. The Play-In Tournament, composed of the No. 7 through No. 10 seeds from the Eastern and Western Conferences, will take place next Tuesday through Friday.

While the status of Randle remains inconclusive, the Knicks have been encouraged by the play of, among others, point guard Jalen Brunson, who has shown he isn’t significantly hampered by a right hand injury and sore left foot, both having caused him to miss eight of the Knicks’ previous 12 games before the March 29 win over the Heat. Brunson scored a career high 48 points in a 130–116 road win over the Cavaliers last Friday and team-high 118–109 victory against the Washington Wizards at home on Sunday.

In addition, guard Immanuel Quickley, who will garner strong consideration from voters for the Sixth Man of the Year Award, has continued his exceptional play, while guard Quentin Grimes and center Isaiah Hartenstein have been standouts for the Knicks down the stretch of this season.

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* This article was originally published here

Message to men: Butt out of women’s competitive affairs and let them play, let them talk junk, let them entertain us the way men sports does.  

Angel Reese and Caitlan Clark are gifted basketball players and seemingly wonderful young women. Reese, star of national champion LSU, was the target of vitriol on social media and undoubtedly behind closed doors after directing the “you can’t see me” gesture, popularized by wrestler and actor John Cena, towards Clark, the transcendent guard for Iowa, late in Sunday’s NCAA women’s championship game.

LSU defeated Iowa 102-85 to earn the program its first ever NCAA women’s basketball title. The 20-year-old Reese was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 Women’s Basketball Championship. Some of the characterizations of Reese were usually reserved for those that commit vile offenses. They were extreme. Most that this writer read were from men, including well-known and widely followed media figures. The unmistakable marks of inherent colorism and sexism were implicit and resonant.

Reese is Black, as are all of the prominent players for LSU. The 21-year-old Clark is white, and so are a majority of Iowa’s exceptional squad. LSU stopping Iowa also altered the storyline many white male journalists were eager to propagate: The great white player and golden girls from middle America take down the uncultured and hyper-aggressive Black girls from the South. They’ll never admit it, but consciously or subconsciously, they know it to be true.

What is disheartening and disturbing is that for the ladies of LSU and Iowa, including their head coaches Kim Mulkey and Lisa Bluder, respectively, and their staffs, the game was purely about basketball. Reese’s taunt was in response to Clark giving the Louisville Cardinals the “you can’t see me” during Iowa’s 97-83 win in the Elite Eight. She also dismissively waved off South Carolina guard Raven Johnson in their Final Four matchup, indicating to her teammates to not even bother covering the poor shooting perimeter player beyond 15-feet.

In street parlance, Clark is gangsta. So is Reese. Clark is from Des Moines, Iowa. Reese is from Baltimore, Maryland. The cities are ideologically and demographically worlds apart, but the two women share many commonalities that were obscured by a presumptive racial barrier erected by those pushing an agenda.

In fact, after Clark gave a Louisville player the business, Cena tweeted, “Even if they could see you…they couldn’t guard you!”
Clark’s innocuous barb was embraced and even celebrated. Reese was vilified. Double standard on steroids. On Tuesday in a televised interview on ESPN, Clark graciously defended Reese, the two likely to be teammates someday for the U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team, or even in the WNBA.
“I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all,” Clark said. “No matter which way it goes, she should never be criticized for what she did. I’m one that competes, and she competed.”
What Reese and Clark did was draw 9.9 million TV viewers, peaking at 12. 6 million across all platforms, making it the most watched women’s basketball game in history. Do your thing, ladies!

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* This article was originally published here