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AFP via Getty Images
![The numbers regarding excess mortality in the Italian province of Bergamo (with the capital of the same name) are incredible: In the first half of 2020 - there are no more recent data for Italy - the region with 1.1 million inhabitants recorded an excess mortality of 117 percent.]()
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The numbers regarding excess mortality in the Italian province of Bergamo (with the capital of the same name) are incredible: In the first half of 2020 – there are no more recent data for Italy – the region with 1.1 million inhabitants recorded an excess mortality of 117 percent.
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DUKAS
![In absolute numbers, this means: Between 2016 and 2019, an average of 5200 people died in Bergamo from calendar weeks 1 to 26. In 2020, the region recorded around 11,300 deaths over the same period - more than twice as many as in normal times.]()
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In absolute numbers, this means: Between 2016 and 2019, an average of 5200 people died in Bergamo from calendar weeks 1 to 26. In 2020, the region recorded around 11,300 deaths over the same period – more than twice as many as in normal times.
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EPA
![Given these numbers, it is not surprising that at the end of March military trucks were needed to bring the deceased to neighboring regions for cremation.]()
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Given these numbers, it is not surprising that at the end of March military trucks were needed to bring the deceased to neighboring regions for cremation.
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AP
![The numbers from Madrid are also brutal: almost 50 percent more people have died there in the past few months than the average in recent years.]()
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The numbers from Madrid are also brutal: almost 50 percent more people have died there in the past few months than the average in recent years.
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Getty Images
![A field hospital was set up in the Ifema exhibition center in Madrid because of the corona pandemic.]()
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A field hospital was set up in the Ifema exhibition center in Madrid because of the corona pandemic.
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The proportion of positive corona tests is skyrocketing across Switzerland. The Covid 19 task force warns that all intensive care beds could be occupied by mid-November – and calls for stricter measures.
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But not everyone believes in such horror scenarios for a long time: On social media platforms, many people downplay or even negate the corona risk. They find the protective measures grossly exaggerated and consider them to be pure state nodding.
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Business representatives such as trade association director Hans-Ulrich Bigler (62) or Digitec founder Marcel Dobler (40) give the Corona skeptics a tailwind. They already find an expansion of the mask requirement inappropriate.
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Is it all necessary?
On Friday, the film “Unheard of!” the former SRF presenter Reto Brennwald (57) premiere. This also doubts the proportionality of government corona measures.
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The doubters always ask the same questions: Is all this necessary? Is the virus really that dangerous?
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Her favorite argument: no more people died in Switzerland in 2020 than in other years.
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That’s true. The official statistics show that Switzerland has so far not recorded any excess mortality in the Corona year.
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Incredible numbers from Bergamo
However, other figures also prove that it would be completely wrong to conclude that Corona is no more dangerous than normal flu. Because individual regions and entire nations are recording massive excess mortality.
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Look graphic
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The figures for the Italian province of Bergamo with its capital city of the same name are almost incomprehensible: In the first half of 2020 – there are no more recent data for Italy – the region with 1.1 million inhabitants recorded an excess mortality rate of 117 percent. In absolute numbers, this means: Between 2016 and 2019, an average of 5200 people died in Bergamo from calendar weeks 1 to 26. In 2020, the region recorded around 11,300 deaths over the same period – more than twice as many as in normal times.
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In view of these figures, it is not surprising that at the end of March military trucks were necessary to bring the deceased to the crematoria in neighboring regions for cremation.
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70 percent more in New York
Another picture that went around the world in the spring can also be understood by looking at the excess mortality rates: the hospital ship of the US Navy that sailed into New York in March to relieve the hospitals overloaded with Covid-19 patients. The city authorities recorded a total of 63,000 deaths from January to the end of August. In the same period, there used to be an average of 36,500 deaths – the excess mortality was therefore more than 70 percent.
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The numbers from Madrid are also brutal: almost 50 percent more people have died there in the past few months than the average in recent years.
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Spain also tops the list in the nations ranking. Excess mortality: 17 percent. Behind them are the USA (16 percent), Great Britain (15 percent) and Italy (12 percent).
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Look graphic
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“The most important thing was the timing”
But how can the huge differences in excess mortality between individual regions and countries be explained? Most governments ended up taking very similar measures.
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For the epidemiologist Marcel Zwahlen from the University of Bern, one thing is certain: “The most important thing was when the measures were taken.” In northern Italy, it simply took too long for the virus to be discovered. In Spain, the USA and Great Britain, on the other hand, the governments did not react until the hospitals were full.
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“If Switzerland had taken the measures a week later in the spring, there would have been an additional 6,000 corona deaths by May,” said Zwahlen. With around 68,000 deaths per year, this would correspond to an excess mortality rate of around ten percent for the whole year.
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“Even Switzerland is not immune to it”
The epidemiologist continues: “Countries in which the health system was already at the attack before Corona also had major problems.” Another key aspect is the protection of health workers: “During the first wave, in some countries they often infected themselves, among other things because there was a lack of protective equipment – and in some cases they also carried the virus into old people’s and nursing homes.”
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In this regard, most nations are now certainly better positioned. And with the treatment of Covid-19 you have learned something. “However, it cannot be ruled out that we will again have massive excess mortality in some countries and regions – Switzerland is not immune to this either.”
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It is therefore crucial to take the right measures to reduce the number of infections in the second wave as well – before it is too late.
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Published: October 24th, 2020, 8:06 pm-Last updated: 10/24/2020, 35 minutes ago–
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