President Donald Trump’s tweet on exaggerated death numbers as a result of Hurricane Maria that hit Puerto Rico last year has prompted George Washington University to issue a statement reaffirming its stand on one of its studies.
In a series of tweets on Thursday, Trump alleged Democrats of indulging in “bad politics” by stretching the figures related to the hurricane death toll.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1040217897703026689
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1040220855400386560
The university’s Milken Institute School of Public Health issued a statement on Thursday saying that it stands by its study “Ascertainment of the Estimated Excess Mortality from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico,” which found an estimated 2,975 additional deaths.
The researchers from the institute, in collaboration with University of Puerto Rico Graduate School of Public Health scientists, used death certificates and related information from September 2017 to February 2018 to analyze mortality rates.
“Using a state-of-the-art mathematical model, the team compared the total number of deaths during that time to the expected number based on historical patterns as well as age, sex, socioeconomic status and migration from the island,” the school’s statement said.
“Our results show that Hurricane Maria was a very deadly storm, one that affected the entire island but hit the poor and the elderly the hardest. We are confident that the number – 2,975 – is the most accurate and unbiased estimate of excess mortality to date.”
Meanwhile, many Republicans including the House Speaker Paul Ryan, have distanced themselves from Trump’s tweets.
“Those are just the facts of what happens when a horrible hurricane hits an isolated place like an island,” Ryan told USA Today when asked about the tweet.
