Far beyond the official death tolls from Covid-19, the worst pandemic in a century has left a mark far wider than originally thought, destroying lives and families almost three times more than data recorded by governments.
New data released by the WHO (World Health Organization) this Thursday show that the death rate directly or indirectly related to the pandemic is approximately 14.9 million, with between 13.3 million and 16.6 million.
The data refer to the years 2020 and 2021. By the end of last year, governments estimated that 5.4 million people had died from covid-19. So the new figures are 2.7 times higher than official records and 9.5 million more than previously known.
68% of extra cases in just ten countries: Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Turkey and the USA
Brazil has officially recorded 663,000 deaths to date, the second highest number in the world. There were 619,000 deaths between early 2020 and December 2021.
However, according to new WHO figures, the health crisis has resulted in more than 681,000 deaths in Brazil, including both victims of the virus and those indirectly killed as a result of the pandemic.
March and April 2021 were the most dramatic months in the country, with 95,000 and 81,000 excess deaths, respectively.
For the World Health Organization, the difference in Brazil is considered “extremely high”. However, it is not excluded that other causes of death, including traffic accidents, may have fallen during the pandemic.
“These depressing data points not only to the impact of the pandemic, but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain primary health care, including stronger health information systems, during crises,” Tedros said. said. Director-General of WHO.
Excess death is calculated as the difference between the number of deaths that have occurred and the number expected in the absence of the pandemic, based on data from previous years.
The figure includes both direct virus-related deaths and indirect deaths caused by the pandemic’s impact on health systems and society. In other words, the inability of patients to look after other diseases in the face of the collapse of health systems.
According to the WHO, the majority of excess deaths (84%) are concentrated in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Middle-income countries are responsible for 81% of the 14.9 million excess deaths. High-income countries have a share of 15% versus 4% in poorer countries.
The data also confirm that the overall death toll is higher in males than females (57% male, 43% female) and higher among older adults.
“Measuring excess mortality is an important component of understanding the impact of the pandemic,” said Samira Asma, WHO deputy director-general for data and analysis.
“Changes in mortality trends provide decision makers with information to guide death reduction policies and effectively prevent future crises. Due to limited investments in data systems in many countries, the true extent of excess mortality often remains hidden.” said Samira Asma.
source: Noticias
