CBS no longer recorded excess mortality in the last two weeks of January | Interior

---

03 Feb 2023 at 00:39

There was no excess mortality in the Netherlands in the last two weeks of January, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reported on Friday based on provisional figures. It is the first time in almost a year that no excess mortality has been recorded for several weeks.

Excess mortality means that a lot more people died than expected for that period based on figures from the past.

Nearly 15,000 people died in January and there was a sharp drop in the death rate, according to Statistics Netherlands. The drop was so strong that there was no excess mortality in the last two weeks. In December, however, there was still a peak in the number of deaths.

According to researcher Ruben van Gaalen of the statistics bureau, the decline of the past few weeks is in line with expectations: a peak always follows a decline. According to him, the peak in December coincides with the higher number of corona cases around that time.

The number of corona infections decreased in January and that may be one of the explanations for the drop in the death rate. From mid-December there was also a flu wave. The number of flu cases has been falling again for several weeks.

No explanation yet for recent excess mortality

Statistics Netherlands does not yet have precise causes of death. They always follow with some delay. So far, the causes of death are known for all deaths from 2022 to September.

How it is possible that there was no excess mortality in the last two weeks of January is not entirely clear. According to Van Gaalen, it remains to be seen whether the relatively low mortality rate will continue.

CBS said earlier in conversation with NU.nl that there is no indication whatsoever that corona vaccinations had anything to do with the high excess mortality in 2022. That is an assertion that is often made by opponents of the vaccines, but for no proof.

---

Source

---