> assume that the observed excess mortality is because of covid This depends on what you mean by "because of covid". If you just mean "the primary cause of de

> assume that the observed excess mortality is because of covid This depends on what you mean by "because of covid". If you just mean "the primary cause of death was covid", this is not a valid methodology. But if you mean "the primary cause of death was something that wouldn't have happened without the covid pandemic and the responses to it that were mandated by governments", then yes, this is probably a valid methodology--but then you can't lay all those deaths at the door of covid itself, you have to also hold governments responsible for their incompetent handling of the pandemic. (Btw, all cause mortality in countries that did mass vaccinations with mRNA vaccines is still above the pre-pandemic baseline, even though covid deaths in those countries are minimal. So there's another item that would need to be taken into account when looking at the overall all cause mortality numbers.)