In 2021, many people in Europe aged 65 and older died from Covid-19. However, the corona pandemic also poses a health risk to patients with other diseases. In Austria, in addition to Corona, excess mortality was also registered, a study by the Austrian Health Academy now concludes.
Compared to pre-Covid (2016-19), the excess mortality in the past two years was 6.8 percent. Older people over 65 were especially affected. For example, deaths from Covid-19 increased slightly compared to 2020 in the previous year, despite stricter measures. A large proportion of Covid-19 deaths were recorded in rest and nursing homes. Immunization through vaccination, which the study authors say can alleviate intensive care units and reduce mortality, is currently “below average.” The corona measures should be optimized and pandemic management improved.
“We were also able to demonstrate that the corona pandemic, which has existed for two years, poses a health risk for non-Covid-19 patients,” say study authors Maria M. Hofmarcher, Johannes Wüger and Ludwig Kaspar. In terms of excess mortality from other diseases, Austria ranked fourth in the EU after Italy and ahead of Germany, France and Spain.
Higher mortality also in other states
In Germany, mortality from a very low level doubled from the age of 65 (from 2020 to 2021). In the Czech Republic and Poland, the death rate from Covid 19 among the population aged 65 and over was particularly high. The authors of the study write that this may be due to low vaccination coverage.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
