Quote from: Cnut237 on Today at 11:16:54 AM

Quote from: Poker Player on Today at 04:48:44 AM

The occurrence of the large peak in April may be due to many causes, including collapse of the hospital system.

I don't understand the point you're making with this bit, sorry. Please could you explain? Hospital systems don't in general collapse spontaneously. But they can become overwhelmed, leading to lower quality care and more deaths, if they are hit by something like — for example — a huge influx of patients due to a pandemic.

pokerplayer is insinuating that car crash victims were left to die on the streets because hospitals only treat covid and refused ambulances for anything else.
he doesnt realise that ICU wards and 'elective surgery' wards were converted to treat covid patients and other wards like EG and surgical wards treated other things like car crash injuries(as usual).
yes less breast implants and skin grafts occured.. but no rise in deaths because of elective surgery cancellations occured.

he also doesnt realise that the cancer monitoring appointments stopped from March-june(uk) did not result in premature cancer deaths in march/april. if someone was to die of cancer in 2 months.. hospitals wouldnt have been able to help anyway as they are already terminal.
and i dont need to say it but think i should for pokers benefit. someone having a screening in say JUNE would not have been a excess death in april (time doesnt flow backwards)

but it 'could' cause its own excess mortality rate year(s) later if hospitals dont catch up with screening appointments
emphasis on future impact. emphasis on IF not catch up with screening