The effect of vaccines is increasingly evident in the figures of deaths from coronavirus. The percentage of deaths corresponding to people over 80 years of age, the group hardest hit since the beginning of the pandemic, has fallen since the end of January, when administration of the second dose started of vaccines.
Except for a few weeks last summer, deaths in that age group had accounted for between 60% and 75% of the total, but in the last two months that percentage has fallen. In week 11 (March 15-21) they were 49.2%. These data may vary because the death figures take time to consolidate, but in the previous three weeks the percentage had already been less than 55%.
This pronounced decrease causes the weight of other groups to increase, especially the older ones, in which the disease has a high mortality rate. This is the case of the 70-79 age group and, to a lesser extent, the 60-69 age group.
January 2021 is the second deadliest month of the pandemic to date. The update of the series of deaths according to the date of death published by the ISCIII shows that the third wave left the first month of this year 10,636 deceased, while in March of last year the figure reached 10,388. November, the deadliest month of the second wave, left 9,022 deaths from coronavirus. The day with the most deaths, however, took place on March 30, 2020, with 913 deaths. The worst figure for this January is 554.
With the fall in the incidence of the virus after the peak of the third wave, which was reached at the end of January and now shows signs of stagnation that could lead to a change in trend, the number of deaths has also fallen. Now, in addition, vaccination is changing lethality of the virus among the most vulnerable population, which is increasingly protected from the virus.
And that has its effect on the decrease in the excess of deaths published by both the Mortality Monitoring System (MoMo), of the ISCIII, and the National Institute of Statistics (INE). Contrary to what has happened until now, excess mortality from all causes registered is below the official death toll from coronaviurs.
The latest data published this Wednesday by the INE show that the deaths observed are below those expected, although these figures, less consolidated, will vary upwards in future updates. However, at least since the seventh week of this year, which began on February 15, the number of deaths from all causes in Spain is in the average of the last five years or even below than usual on these dates.
The effect on the healthcare sector
The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration published this wednesday information on casualties due to coronavirus infection or isolation in each activity sector. Although information on the sector is lacking in 13% of the casualties registered due to contagion, the effect of vaccinating health workers and nursing home workers is already noticeable in the decrease in casualties.
During the toughest weeks of the pandemic, when home confinement was applied to the population except for essential activities, health workers and nursing home workers practically monopolized the half of the total casualties granted by covid-19. Although this proportion fell after the peak of the first wave, both sectors have been among the most affected in this regard.
Since the beginning of the year and being more notable in recent weeks, when many of these professionals have already completed the vaccination schedule, the weight of both sectors on the total casualties due to contagion is less and less.
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