![]() The most recent period of significant excess mortality was observed starting in July 2022 and continued through to the end of the year. ![]() The provinces that experienced this excess were Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Over the course of these eight weeks, there were 3,799 (or 8.6%) more deaths than expected and at least 2,430 deaths attributed to COVID-19. Starting in mid-April 2022, however, a period of significant excess mortality was once again observed until early June. Nationally, the number of deaths fell within the range of what would be expected had there been no pandemic through the rest of March 2022. This differed from previous periods of excess mortality, which were generally characterized by greater than expected mortality in only the four largest provinces. Over these same nine weeks, Canada had its deadliest week of the pandemic so far, and most provinces experienced periods of significant excess mortality including Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. For example, a record number of accidental poisonings (including drug overdoses) were reported in 2021. ![]() While this corresponded with a period of increased COVID-19 activity-more than 6,985 deaths were directly attributed to the disease-it suggests that other factors might be contributing to the excess. Over the nine-week period starting in January 2022 and ending March 5, 2022, there were 8,959 excess deaths, or 16.2% more deaths than expected. Since that time, a period of excess was observed beginning in January 2022. There was a shorter period experienced in May 2021, and another coinciding with the emergence of the Delta variant, from July 2021 to December 2021. From March 2020 to June 2020, followed by a longer period of excess deaths from September 2020 to February 2021. Prior to the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID‑19, four significant periods of excess mortality were observed nationally since the start of the pandemic. While all age groups experienced a greater than expected number of deaths in the periods of excess mortality in the spring and summer of 2022, younger Canadians (those under the age of 45) seem to have been affected disproportionately, accounting for around 5% of the deaths observed during these periods, but about 8% of the excess deaths. The period of excess occurring in July and August of 2022 seems to coincide with a period of increased COVID-19 activity, with at least 2,570 deaths attributed to the disease to date. At the national level, an estimated, 7,800 excess deaths (9% more than expected) were observed over the 16-week period ending October 15, 2022. Higher than expected mortality was observed throughout much of the summer of 2022 and into the winter. While COVID‑19 has been a main driver of excess deaths overall, other factors are driving excess mortality as well, particularly among younger Canadians. However, those younger than 65 years have accounted for just over 10% of the deaths attributed to COVID‑19 but 30% of the excess deaths, suggesting that other factors are driving excess mortality among younger Canadians. From March 2020 to early March 2021, about one third of the excess mortality and just over half of the deaths caused by COVID‑19 observed in Canada involved individuals older than 84. Since the onset of the pandemic, older Canadians have experienced a disproportionate share of both excess deaths and COVID‑19-caused deaths.
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