The sudden death of otherwise healthy young adults, many of whom were athletes, is on the rise in Canada and across the globe..New Brunswick curler Jamie Brannen passed away suddenly last Friday at the age of 47. ."It's been an emotional 24 hours for our team," read a tweet from Team Grattan. ."We are shocked and in disbelief with the news that our teammate and friend has passed away suddenly." . Jamie BrannenJamie Brannen .Brannen — a husband and father of two — represented New Brunswick at the Tim Hortons Brier six times. Tragically, Brannen's father, Bob Brannen, also died suddenly over the weekend. .Canadian actor Robert Cormier also died last Friday after an apparent fall. The family of the actor — who appeared on CBC's Heartland — said his death was "unexpected" and called it a "tragic accident." No other details about his death have been released. . Robert CormierRobert Cormier .Motocross rider Juan López Márquez died suddenly on Sunday at the age of 33. The competitor from San Diego competed in various desert championships, as reported by The Checkered Flag.. Juan López MárquezJuan López Márquez .Ashley Carvill, a young mother of two, was found unresponsive on a Glasgow street in Scotland September 21. She was rushed to hospital where she was cared for, but died Sunday. Family and friends of the 34-year-old say they are devastated by her sudden death, as reported by the UK's Daily Record. . Ashley CarvillAshley Carvill .The Daily Record also reported the "unexplained death" of a 32-year-old man last Friday in Rosyth, UK, just north of Edinburgh. Authorities say they do not believe there were any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. .Police are investigating the sudden death of a woman in Newport, Wales, as reported by UK news site, Wales Online. Reports say the 32-year-old woman was found unresponsive at a house on Monday and police have labelled the death "unexplained." .In the UK, New Scientist reported in early September there have been thousands more deaths than usual. ."Since April, there have been 22,500 more deaths than expected in the UK. Health experts are concerned but unsure of the causes..." reads the article. .A spokesperson for the UK government's Department of Health and Social Care said an "analysis is ongoing" into the surge in unexplained deaths. .The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) recently released a report examining excess deaths suggesting the "Government responses to [COVID-19] have not been successful." ."Canadian federal and provincial governments, health agencies, and media organizations are now assessing the quality and efficacy of the Canadian response to the [COVID-19] pandemic," said the JCCF in its report. ."The prevailing consensus is the Canadian response has been successful. It seems, however, ‘success’ has been defined only as achieving high vaccination rates, compliance with public health orders, and reduced mortality from [COVID-19].".Citing Statistics Canada (StatCan) data, the JCCF showed excess deaths "especially impacted the younger-than-45 demographic" in several provinces. The report points to healthcare disruptions, the mental health crisis and suicides, and drug overdoses as significant contributing factors. .According to the Government of Canada's health InfoBase, the country saw a 96% increase in apparent opioid toxicity deaths between April 2020 and March 2021.."As governments and public health agencies consider future contingencies, it is critical that Canadians and their governing officials understand this: even if lockdowns and vaccination campaigns have protected some people from COVID, they have also, in all too many cases, damaged the fortunes and lives of many other Canadians," said the JCCF. .The JCCF included data that showed in the second half of 2021, more people died than anticipated, many in the younger population. In that time frame, there was 7,959 more deaths from non-COVID-19 causes than the expected number of deaths by StatCan. .In Q3, StatCan expected 67,450 deaths, yet total deaths unrelated to COVID-19 were 72,060 — an excess of 4,610. .In Q4, 73,921 deaths were expected, however Canada saw 77,270 deaths unrelated to COVID-19 for an excess of 3,349..For males younger than 45 years old, there was a 24% increase in excess deaths in 2021 compared to rates between 2010 and 2020. .A similar increase was seen among females with a 14% rise in excess deaths in 2021 compared to numbers from 2010 to 2020. . Canada and selected provinces excess mortality estimates and deaths from COVID by age groupCANADA AND SELECTED PROVINCES EXCESS MORTALITY ESTIMATES AND DEATHS FROM COVID BY AGE GROUPMarch 2020 to April 2022(Provisional data; Quebec data incomplete).A comparison of excess mortality estimates verses deaths from COVID-19 for all ages shows in 2020, excess mortality was 18,158 higher than expected. In 2021, it was 18,264 higher than expected and to date for 2022, it is 6,852 higher than expected. .An uptick in deaths labelled as ill-defined or of unknown causes was also recently cites as Alberta's top killer. .READ MORE: Alberta doctors, lawyer raise questions over rise in deaths of unknown cause.Initial reports from StatCan showed the top cause of death in the province was deaths with unknown causes at 3,362. However, Brett Farrell, press secretary for the Minister of Service Alberta Nate Glubish, told the Western Standard that number continues to be refined "as medical causes of death are determined," and as of July 6, that number had dropped by approximately 35% to 2,169. .In August, MP Leslyn Lewis — while running as a CPC leadership candiate — called on the government to investigate Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS). .READ MORE: Lewis demands answers on Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.Lewis said since she has been bold enough to ask questions about the COVID-19 pandemic, she has received a "steady flow of communications from doctors, nurses, and paramedics who are concerned that SADS is indeed vaccine-related."
