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Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020

Is there any evidence that countries with universal health care coverage have lower COVID-19 mortality rates?

Mikayla Campbell, Gigafact Foundry
no

Data shows no clear relationship between a country's health care delivery structure and mortality from the coronavirus.

The U.S., with its mix of government and private funding of health care, has an observed mortality rate of 2%, according to Johns Hopkins data on deaths per 100 confirmed cases, as of Nov. 27, 2020. Several European countries with universal insurance programs, including the U.K., Italy, Belgium and France, have recorded higher rates, while Germany's is lower.

Much remains to be understood about factors influencing varying outcomes. An early assessment by researchers, published in May, observed that a strong national health insurance regime "does not appear to protect against mortality in a pandemic environment." With limited treatment options, outcomes have also been affected by policies calling for social distancing and limits on travel, gatherings and other activities.

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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.

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