ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Epidemiological studies have shown that mortality owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be under-reported under different conditions. Excess mortality analysis is suggested as a useful tool in estimating the impact of the disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Mortality data between January 01 and May 18, 2020, were analyzed to evaluate the excess mortality owing to COVID-19 in Istanbul, the city most affected by the pandemic in Turkey. The average weekly percentage changes in the number of deaths in 4 previous years were compared with those in the year 2020 using excess mortality analysis. RESULTS: The number of deaths in Istanbul was significantly higher in 2020 (p=0.001), with a 10% weekly increase between the 10th and 15th weeks, which started to decrease until the 20th week. The excess mortality found during the study period was 4,084 deaths, higher than the officially reported COVID-19 mortality. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that mortality owing to COVID-19 could be higher than the official figures reported by health authorities.
ABSTRACT
It has been more than 3 months now since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Turkey. Globally, the number of confirmed cases and deaths reached 9,653,048 and 491,128 respectively, as reported by 216 countries by June 27, 2020. Turkey had 1,396 new cases, 194,511 total cases, and 5,065 deaths by the same date. From the first case until today, the Turkish Thoracic Society (TTS) has been very proactive in educating doctors, increasing public awareness, undertaking academic studies, and assisting with public health policies. In the present report, social, academic, and management perspectives of the pandemic are presented under appropriate subtitles. During this critical public health crisis, TTS has once again demonstrated its readiness and constructive stance by supporting public health, healthcare workers, and the environment. This review summarizes the perspective of TTS on each aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic and casts light on its contributions.