About 14.9 million excess deaths were directly or indirectly associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, according to a World Health Organization analysis released Thursday. 

The WHO’s estimate was almost three times greater than the reported 5.4 million deaths directly attributable to COVID-19 during the first two years of the pandemic. Deaths indirectly associated with the pandemic included deaths “due to the pandemic’s impact on health systems and society.” In a statement, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to “invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems.”

India, which the report says accounted for 4.7 million excess deaths, delayed the report’s release in January by objecting to the WHO’s methodology. India’s official excess death count for 2020 and 2021 was just 481,080. 

While coverage was widespread and balanced across the spectrum on Thursday, right-rated outlets were less likely to feature the story prominently on homepages. Several headlines across the spectrum potentially misled readers by framing the 15 million figure as a “COVID-19 death toll” instead of as “deaths associated with” the pandemic.