Mortality Rates Are 34% Higher This Year For Adults Aged 35 To 44, And It's Not Because Of Covid

Even though Covid has been the hot topic for the last few years, and politicians and the media have tried to convince us that this virus is the scariest thing looming over our heads, it turns out that there are an inexplicable number of people dying in our country whose death is not related to coronavirus at all. As reported on by USA Today, life insurance actuaries are sounding the alarm over a perplexing increase in deaths among people in their prime years, a trend that has extended beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Recent data reveals that the number of deaths among working people age 35-44 was a staggering 34% higher than expected in the last quarter of 2022. This phenomenon isn't solely confined to the United States; similar trends are observed in the United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries.

Mortality Rates Are 34% Higher This Year for Adults Age 35 to 44, and It's Not Because of Covid

The concerning increase in deaths is not attributable to Covid. A report by the Society of Actuaries clearly states that the rise in mortality cannot be fully explained by the pandemic. Intriguingly, the trend seems to be more prevalent among white-collar workers compared to blue-collar workers. The difference in excess death rates between the two categories widened further in the fourth quarter of 2022 (increasing 19% and 14%, respectively), baffling experts.

Prime working-age groups also experienced mortality rates 79% higher than expected.

What makes this even more perplexing is that the fall of 2021 witnessed a sudden spike in worker mortality even as Covid-related deaths plummeted. The mortality rate among workers age 35-44 was twice the pre-pandemic baseline in the third quarter of 2021. Other prime working-age groups also experienced mortality rates 79% higher than expected.

These anomalies are not confined to the U.S. The United Kingdom reported more excess deaths in the second half of 2022 than in any year since 2010. Younger age groups (20-44 years) experienced death rates comparable to 2021, the worst year of the pandemic for this demographic. In Australia, 12% more people died in 2022 than expected, with a third of the excess being non-Covid-related deaths, termed by the nation's Actuaries Institute as “extraordinarily high.”

Global data, including the U.S., shows that even 14 months after the last pandemic wave, the number of excess deaths remains disturbingly high. In that period, the U.S. had at least 104,000 more deaths than expected, the U.K. had 52,427, Germany had 81,028, France had 17,731, the Netherlands had 10,418, and Ireland had 2,640.

What Could Be Causing Excess Deaths

Speculations regarding the causes of these excess deaths include delayed healthcare, increased drug overdoses, and supposedly even changes in weather patterns, but no definite answers have been provided. What is clear is that this ongoing loss of life is comparable in scale to a war or terrorist event, and is especially puzzling considering that it is affecting people in age groups and occupations that typically have better healthcare access and outcomes.

Scott Davison, the CEO of a large Indiana life insurance company, expressed concern, stating that the highest death rates in the history of their business were being seen not just at OneAmerica but consistently across the sector. This puzzling trend has prompted calls for governments and regulatory agencies to cooperate with life insurers in launching a concerted, multinational investigation into the causes of these excess deaths.

Despite the alarming data, there remains an inexplicable lack of urgency in investigating this troubling phenomenon. The prevailing sentiment is that without a thorough, collaborative, and multinational investigation, we cannot fully understand what is driving these excess deaths or how to mitigate them. As such, there's an immediate need for dedicated efforts to explore these startling trends and provide answers.

Drug overdose is a much bigger issue than political leaders are letting on.

Drug overdose is a much bigger issue than political leaders are letting on. The CDC recently reported that more than 107,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States in 2021 alone, marking a 15% increase from 2020 and setting a grim new record. In 2022, that number was 107,699, which is more than double the overdose deaths in 2015. 11,094 of those deaths took place in the state of California.

A significant factor contributing to this surge is the increased availability of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times more potent than heroin. Fentanyl alone accounted for over 71,000 deaths in 2021, making up two-thirds of the total overdose deaths nationwide. This figure equals the total number of drug overdoses the country experienced in 2018, indicating the rapid normalization of fentanyl use. Estimates suggest that 80 million counterfeit pain pills containing fentanyl have entered the U.S., posing a high risk given their indistinguishable appearance from genuine medication.

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the situation, adding "fuel to the fire of the overdose epidemic," according to Dan Ciccarone, a medical anthropologist at the University of California, San Francisco. He notes that the crisis is unprecedented, having already impacted U.S. life expectancy even before the pandemic. In addition to fentanyl, methamphetamine use is expanding eastward in the U.S., and deaths from opioids and other depressants are also on the rise. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, warns that the crisis shows no signs of abating soon, as dealers are financially incentivized to continue selling these potent drugs. Many white-collar workers and people who seemingly have their life together are the ones who have fairly easy access to these drugs and are thus the ones who are more likely to suffer from an overdose.

Responses to this crisis vary. While some believe that the Biden administration's softer approach to the "War on Drugs" could help reduce overdoses, evidence from cities like San Francisco suggests that mass decriminalization of drugs has not curbed drug use or overdose rates—in fact, it may have worsened the situation. Given these complexities, the overdose crisis remains a significant and growing public health concern.

The rate of depression among teens has been alarmingly on the rise as well.

The rate of depression among teens has been alarmingly on the rise as well, doubling between 2010 and 2019, with a continued increase during the pandemic lockdowns. One in every three high school girls contemplated suicide in 2021. The CDC reported that emergency room visits for self-harm among girls age 10 to 14 tripled from 2009 to 2015. Additionally, by 2016, 90% of teen girls were using social media daily, a behavior linked to mood disorders like depression. Despite these concerning numbers, there was significant denial among experts about the mental health crisis facing teenage girls. Only now, in 2023, is the issue gaining the attention it warrants.

While the CDC recommends enhancing mental health services in schools, fostering inclusivity, and improving health education, these measures, though improved over the years, seem insufficient. A critical yet overlooked factor is the impact of social media on young girls. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram expose them to influencers and celebrities who often promote unrealistic beauty standards, impacting their self-image and mental well-being.

Beyond mental health, physical health is also neglected in discussions. Physical activity, time spent outdoors, and nutrition play significant roles in mental health. The typical American diet has worsened over the years, featuring more processed foods, seed oils, and nutritionally inadequate meals. Poor nutrition can result in gut imbalances, low immunity, and compromised brain health, all contributing to mental health issues.

The current mental health crisis among teens, especially girls, needs a multi-pronged approach that goes beyond school-based interventions; if that doesn't happen, there will likely only be an increase of young adults who die suddenly, whether it's due to overdose, suicide, or any other health issues that aren't related to Covid whatsoever. There isn't a single answer to solve the increasing number of premature deaths in our country, but it does start with being honest, rather than lazily blaming coronavirus and pushing people to get the vaccine. The future of our country is looking grim unless we can truthfully address the primary factors that are causing such concerning death rates, and unfortunately, it doesn't seem like politicians are willing to touch this subject with a 10-foot pole.

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