The numbers are staggering; PRB releases 2022 World Population Data Sheet surrounding deaths in Latin America

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

According to the Population Reference Bureau, the pandemic caused close to 15 million more deaths in 2020 and 2021. It is also responsible for 12% of all deaths universally and contributed to declines in life expectancy in some countries.

“Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, we are finally getting a clearer and more nuanced picture of its impact across countries and communities,” PRB President and CEO Jeffrey Jordan said. “We hope the data and evidence in the 2022 World Population Data Sheet can provide greater insights for decision-makers.”

Here are some of the findings of the (PRB’s) newly released 2022 World Population Data Sheet, which provides a universal picture of the pandemic’s impacts on mortality and fertility patterns.

Between January 2020 and December 2021, the pandemic contributed to 12% of total deaths globally, directly or indirectly. Central America was hardest hit, with more than 25% of deaths associated with the pandemic.

Around 7.46 million excess deaths occurred on average in both 2020 and 2021, leading to nearly 15 million excess deaths over the two years. Excess deaths measure the difference between the number of actual deaths and the number of deaths that would have been expected had the pandemic not occurred.

Between 2019 and 2021, life expectancy in the United States declined from 78 years to 76 years—reversing 30 years of gains. Global life expectancy at birth is 75 years for women and 70 years for men.

The global population rose slightly to just under eight billion people. India is projected to have the greatest absolute increase in the population size of any country between 2022 and 2050, rising by more than 253 million to 1.67 billion.

The pandemic’s impact on fertility rates was less significant than expected and largely temporary. High-income countries such as: Italy, Germany, and the United States experienced small declines in births in 2020, rebounding in 2021. Low and middle-income countries saw little to no fertility impacts.

As we see above, Latin America has taken the brunt of the blows, with a quarter of all deaths attributed to the pandemic. Let’s see if we can shine some light on why this is so.

The numbers are staggering in Central America with: Mexico coming in at 29%, Guatemala at 20%, Honduras and El Salvador at 17%, Costa Rica at 16%, Panama and Nicaragua at 15%, and Belize bringing up the rear with 14% when it comes to excess deaths due to the pandemic.

These eight Central American countries have a total population of just 175 million people as opposed to North America whose population is 370 million, yet Canada and America combined have just 17% of excess deaths due to the pandemic, why? Let’s look deeper.

Here is what one Hispanic media outlet revealed.

Half of the countries of Central America are facing a new COVID-19 wave with record numbers of people in intensive care units in Costa Rica, and a growing number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Guatemala and Honduras. At the same time the entire isthmus is clamouring for equitable and faster access to vaccines. Let’s keep digging.

Panama, Costa Rica, and El Salvador are moving forward with their injection programs, having gained access to injections via bilateral accords, especially with Pfizer and China’s Coronavac, but also through the World Health Organization’s Cova’s mechanism, which has sent small shipments of AstraZeneca.

That said, Pfizer is making weekly deliveries to Costa Rica and Panama, and both countries have administered about 698,000 doses and 574,000 doses, respectively.

There have now been over 67 Ivermectin COVID-19 controlled studies that show a 67% improvement in COVID patients, and 362 Hydroxychloroquine studies that show a 64% improvement in patients for COVID-19 patients.

It will be interesting to find out if doctors in Central America are allowed to prescribe these two drugs to their patients without having their medical licenses pulled.