Analysis of a time series of monthly deaths in Scotland from 1990 to 2012 shows evidence for a series of infectious like events which also appear to be linked to increases in ED attendance, medical admissions and a wobble in the gender ratio.
http://www.bmijournal.org/index.php/bmi/article/viewFile/167/117
Is this the missing piece of information explaining what is happening in urgent health care?
Your comments and thoughts would be welcome.
Hi Ezequiel,
I think what is happening has two components. Firstly the effect of health service cutbacks arising from the financial crisis which are felt very badly in Spain, Greece, etc and secondly (and made worse by) outbreaks of this new type of infectious event. See also article on deaths in UK in 2012
file:///C:/Users/HCAF_ROD/Downloads/Jones4162014BJMMR9072%20(2).pdf
Have submitted some more work which suggests that the transmission of the agent reaches a minimum in the summer suggesting Vitamin D is of vital importance. This is somewhat timely given the explosion of studies demonstrating the beneficial effects of vitamin D against mortality and morbidity. So until we can all come up with a better solution (immunization or low cost anti-viral) vitamin D for the elderly seems a sensible first step.
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