True city toll likely much higher

The grim reality of the coronavirus’ toll on New York City may include thousands of deaths beyond those already tallied, according to a study released on Monday.

Between March 11 and May 2, 24,172 more city residents died than would normally be expected in that period based on years past, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found, citing statistics from the city Department of Health.

Through May 2, 13,831 confirmed coronavirus deaths had been tallied in the city along with 5,048 probable deaths, in which the deceased weren’t officially tested but displayed signs of infection, for an overall toll of 18,879 fatalities.

That still left 5,293 “excess deaths” beyond what the city typically sees at this time of year, the study found.

Those fatalities could be at least partially attributable to the pandemic, fueled by such factors as “the demand on hospitals and health-care providers and public fear related to COVID-19,” according to the CDC.

“Tracking excess mortality is important to understanding the contribution to the death rate from both COVID-19 disease and the lack of availability of care for non-COVID conditions,” the report says.

The city DOH acknowledged that a full accounting of the pandemic’s toll on the city remains a painful work in progress.

“This crisis has taken a devastating toll on our city, and we are still working to fully measure the scale of what we’ve lost,” said department spokesman Patrick Gallahue.

“This is a critical part of both understanding the virus as well as the healing process that New Yorkers will go through.”