In Mexico, the excess mortality linked to Covid-19 reached 626,217 deaths between 2020 and 2021, almost double what was reported by the authorities of our country, according to figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO). ).
The most recent report on excess mortality published by the world body indicates that national data includes people who died directly from the disease, other medical problems, as well as those who lost their lives due to interruption of medical care resulting from the pandemic.
It should be noted that the figure released by the Mexican authorities is 324,334 deaths in December 2021.
overall mortality
In its report, the WHO added that more than two-thirds of the global excess mortality linked to Covid-19 — estimated at about 14.9 million people — was concentrated in Mexico, and nine other countries such as India, Russia, Indonesia, United States, Brazil, Peru, Turkey, Egypt and South Africa.
It was also pointed out that nations such as the US, Brazil or Peru have official death figures very similar to those presented by the WHO.
In presenting its report, the WHO explained that the excess mortality associated with the virus is used to quantify the direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic, so excess mortality is defined as the difference between the total number of deaths that occur have occurred and the number of deaths that would have been expected in the absence of Covid-19.
The world body added that they have been tracking the impact of Covid as the pandemic has evolved over time, however this data does not always give a complete picture of the health burden attributable to the virus or how many lives have been lost due to the virus. to them, and this is due to a number of reasons, such as that some deaths that are attributable to SARS-CoV-2 have not been certified as such because no testing was done before death.
There have also been variations in the death certification rules that countries have applied in the presence of comorbidities.
And that deaths indirectly linked to Covid-19 are attributable to other health conditions for which people were unable to access prevention and treatment because health systems were overwhelmed by the pandemic.
In addition to the estimated number of excess mortality, it can also be influenced by the deaths avoided during the pandemic due to the reduced risk of certain events, such as traffic accidents or occupational injuries.
“The impact of the pandemic is far-reaching. Beyond the deaths directly attributable to it, there are those that can be linked to the conditions that have prevailed since the pandemic began and have led to some health systems being overwhelmed or some patients avoiding medical care. WHO.
These sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic, but also the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can maintain essential health services during crises, including stronger information systems.” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General.