4 ms·

Some countries show estimated excess deaths less than the confirmed Covid deaths. I imagine this might be attributed to lifestyle changes reducing deaths from o

Some countries show estimated excess deaths less than the confirmed Covid deaths. I imagine this might be attributed to lifestyle changes reducing deaths from other causes. Of the countries that I have looked at, Sweden is perhaps the most interesting, as the figures tracked closely together until the beginning of 2021, and then diverged rapidly over the next few months.

dkjaudyeqooe 4y ago
Depending on the level or lockdowns, that can be due to things like less traffic and people staying home, thus less deaths associated with activities forgone.
- Zigurd 4y ago
  As bad as the US is (and getting worse) many places in the world have really horrific traffic deaths, so reduced activity on roads can be a big factor.
- mdip 4y ago
  It looks like there was minimal to no lockdown in Sweden: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/sweden-covid-and-lockdown-a-look-at-the-data/ https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/sweden-covid-and-lockdow...
  - _djo_ 4y ago
    It's a misconception that life went on as normal in Sweden. Plenty of activities were reduced or curtailed and business and personal travel from surrounding countries was dramatically reduced. Even so, it saw much higher mortality rates than its neighbours.
    - arcanemachiner 4y ago
      > Even so, it saw much higher mortality rates than its neighbours. Did they? https://twitter.com/JamesMelville/status/1596815870676041729 https://twitter.com/JamesMelville/status/1596815870676041729
      - _djo_ 4y ago
        That's a very poor source to be relying on. Actual studies of the COVID death rate in the Nordics all show Sweden having a much worse mortality rate. [0] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14034948211047137 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14034948211047... [1] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1403494820980264 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/140349482098026... [2] https://jogh.org/2022/jogh-12-05017 https://jogh.org/2022/jogh-12-05017 [3] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1113834/cumulative-coronavirus-deaths-in-the-nordics/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1113834/cumulative-coron...
- femto 4y ago
  Until COVID took hold at the beginning of 2022 Australia saw a reduction in deaths due to the above factors, which more than countered deaths due to COVID, leading to the death rate being lower than normal. Another significant factor was the complete elimination of flu as a byproduct of COVID countermeasures (zero recorded flu cases or deaths for about a year). Flu came back in from overseas (with a vengeance) when the restrictions lifted.
SomewhatLikely 4y ago
It could also be due to differences in the standard for what counts as a COVID death. Maybe those countries over counted.
yonaguska 4y ago
Interesting. Sweden was famous for not locking down, and the vaccination rollout started in December 2020.

dkjaudyeqooe 4y ago

Depending on the level or lockdowns, that can be due to things like less traffic and people staying home, thus less deaths associated with activities forgone.

Zigurd 4y ago
As bad as the US is (and getting worse) many places in the world have really horrific traffic deaths, so reduced activity on roads can be a big factor.
mdip 4y ago
It looks like there was minimal to no lockdown in Sweden: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/sweden-covid-and-lockdown-a-look-at-the-data/ https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/sweden-covid-and-lockdow...
- _djo_ 4y ago
  It's a misconception that life went on as normal in Sweden. Plenty of activities were reduced or curtailed and business and personal travel from surrounding countries was dramatically reduced. Even so, it saw much higher mortality rates than its neighbours.
  - arcanemachiner 4y ago
    > Even so, it saw much higher mortality rates than its neighbours. Did they? https://twitter.com/JamesMelville/status/1596815870676041729 https://twitter.com/JamesMelville/status/1596815870676041729
    - _djo_ 4y ago
      That's a very poor source to be relying on. Actual studies of the COVID death rate in the Nordics all show Sweden having a much worse mortality rate. [0] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14034948211047137 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14034948211047... [1] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1403494820980264 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/140349482098026... [2] https://jogh.org/2022/jogh-12-05017 https://jogh.org/2022/jogh-12-05017 [3] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1113834/cumulative-coronavirus-deaths-in-the-nordics/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1113834/cumulative-coron...
femto 4y ago
Until COVID took hold at the beginning of 2022 Australia saw a reduction in deaths due to the above factors, which more than countered deaths due to COVID, leading to the death rate being lower than normal. Another significant factor was the complete elimination of flu as a byproduct of COVID countermeasures (zero recorded flu cases or deaths for about a year). Flu came back in from overseas (with a vengeance) when the restrictions lifted.

SomewhatLikely 4y ago

It could also be due to differences in the standard for what counts as a COVID death. Maybe those countries over counted.

yonaguska 4y ago

Interesting. Sweden was famous for not locking down, and the vaccination rollout started in December 2020.