Even in 2022, now the third year of the pandemic, there is again significant excess mortality in Austria.
According to Viennese state statistician Ramon Bauer, the excess mortality from late May to mid-November was “nearly nine percent”, especially “in the 65 plus age group”, he said in the lunch magazine “Ö1” on Saturday.
Across Austria, there were about 3,500 more deaths than expected. The five years before the pandemic – 2015 to 2019 – were used as a comparison period.
Different causal theories
About a third of the 3,500 additional victims died of covid, but more than 2,000 deaths cannot be explained by a corona infection. This year, about 300 people died from the summer heat or its consequences. Otherwise, there are two other theorems for the increased number of deaths.
On the one hand, there is the spreading effect: in the first two years of the pandemic there was no flu epidemic, this year mainly the sick and the elderly died all year round. In addition, there is the consequential damage caused by the pandemic due to the overburdened health system, the statistician explains. This includes, for example, examinations or treatments that have not taken place.
Significantly more deaths in the fall
Since the beginning of autumn, the increased mortality has been particularly evident. According to Statistics Austria, deaths in calendar weeks 36 to 44 (September 5 to November 6) increased by about eleven to 20 percent.
In the second year of the pandemic, 2021, the excess mortality in Austria was almost nine percent for the second time in a row. The regional differences were relatively small. With the exception of Burgenland, which was just under five percent, all other states had values around the national average (8.8 percent). The development is most pronounced in Styria, where mortality increased by more than ten percent. Vienna was 9.2 percent.
In total, about 15,000 more people died in Austria last year than expected. However, in 2021, unlike in 2020, an increasing discrepancy was recorded with the officially reported Covid deaths. In concrete terms, in 2020 a total of 75 percent of the statistical excess mortality could be explained by the registered Covid deaths. In 2021, the value was only 45 percent nationwide.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
