Excess deaths is a better measure and more consistent. If last year you had X deaths per 100 000 people and this year you have X+Y deaths per 100 000 then you c

Excess deaths is a better measure and more consistent. If last year you had X deaths per 100 000 people and this year you have X+Y deaths per 100 000 then you can say the number of deaths due to COVID, either directly or indirectly, is around Y per 100 000.