Choice of Outcome in COVID-19 Studies and Implications for Policy: Mortality and Fatality

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Citation

Westreich, Daniel; Edwards, Jessie K.; Tennant, Peter W. G.; Murray, Eleanor J.; & van Smeden, Maarten (2022). Choice of Outcome in COVID-19 Studies and Implications for Policy: Mortality and Fatality. American Journal of Epidemiology, 191(2), 282-286. PMCID: PMC8513401

Abstract

In this brief communication, we discuss the confusion of mortality with fatality in the interpretation of evidence in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and how this confusion affects the translation of science into policy and practice. We discuss how this confusion has influenced COVID-19 policy in France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom and discuss the implications for decision-making about COVID-19 vaccine distribution. We also discuss how this confusion is an example of a more general statistical fallacy we term the "Missing Link Fallacy."

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwab244

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2022

Journal Title

American Journal of Epidemiology

Author(s)

Westreich, Daniel
Edwards, Jessie K.
Tennant, Peter W. G.
Murray, Eleanor J.
van Smeden, Maarten

Article Type

Regular

PMCID

PMC8513401

ORCiD

Edwards, J -0000-0002-1741-335X