Re:Estimation of total mortality due to COVID-19
by philwelch on Friday May 07, 2021 @03:12PM
(#27079758)
If medical treatment causes more deaths than it prevents on average, we’re probably doing it wrong, though maybe it looks different in the short term as you imply.
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Re:Estimation of total mortality due to COVID-19
by teachingassist on Friday May 07, 2021 @03:24PM
(#27079900)
Agreed. All medical treatments are about balancing risks.
Whenever you take any surgery (for example), the meaningful risk of immediate death is balanced against the benefit of better quality of life later.
If you measure the impact of medical treatments only on the day they are taken, you'll only find evidence that a bunch of people have died who wouldn't have otherwise died on that day.
You can't then observe the benefit until some time has passed.