Portugal recorded excess mortality in March, but not due to coronavirus
The Portuguese Directorate General for Health (DGS) has launched an investigation into the excess mortality recorded in March of this year in Portugal. Indeed, the figures speak for themselves and the excess mortality (number of deaths above an average in recent years) was particularly pronounced in March compared to certain years. At first glance it could be a simple consequence of the coronavirus epidemic, but it is not. In addition, this excess mortality also affects the elderly. This could explain the relatively low mortality rate (2%) of the coronavirus in Portugal compared to other countries, but does not explain this excess mortality. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about this investigation launched by the DGS in order to identify the causes of this peak in mortality.
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Portugal recorded excess mortality in March, but not due to coronavirus
The Portuguese Directorate General for Health (DGS) has decided to launch an investigation into the real reasons for an apparent increase in the number of deaths in Portugal in March, not counting the fatal victims of the coronavirus epidemic. These data are public and accessible on the real-time mortality monitoring site in Portugal.
In March, in fact, an excess mortality was recorded, particularly in the second half. In 2020, there were 5,766 deaths in Portugal between March 15 and 31, while there were 5,271 in 2019, a difference of 500 deaths. This difference can not be explained by the coronavirus epidemic because as of March 31 there were 140 registered deaths from coronavirus.
The research launched by the DGS will now have to determine whether the deceased patients had more pathologies and which pathologies are experiencing the greatest increase. Several doctors of different specialties have drawn attention in recent days to the fact that the fear of patients who do not want to go to a health center or a hospital when they feel sick can worsen several pathologies.
Nevertheless, the DGS indicated that, on the health services side, all the postponements of operations decided on do not affect the cases deemed urgent. The difference cannot therefore be explained simply by the "fear" of the coronavirus.
Source : DGS
What worries and challenges us is that the increase in mortality is exactly in the same age group that is particularly affected by Covid-19, that is to say people over the age of 75 . Apart from the coronavirus, there is no other epidemic to be deplored at this time in Portugal, which raises even more suspicions.
The data are available for consultation free of charge and are updated every 10 minutes. Although the excess mortality from all causes recorded in March of this year is significant, it nevertheless remains below certain years of the last decade, as in 2018 and 2016, and particularly in 2012, the year in which more than 400 people died a day.