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In recent weeks and months, it has become evident that many people only take the coronavirus seriously when there are fatalities. Unfortunately, this awareness does not last long for most, even if they are directly affected. Let’s briefly dissect the claims made by conspiracy theorists once again.

The Eternal Topic - Died with or from COVID-19

There are still claims stating that the statistics on COVID-19 deaths are exaggerated. As we now know, SARS-CoV-2 is a multi-organ virus. It spreads throughout the body, and regardless of whether one dies from a heart attack, a pulmonary embolism, or the consequences of a stroke, one ultimately dies from the complications brought about by the COVID-19 illness. Therefore, the statistics are accurate, and the prevailing excess mortality in some countries underscores this point.

The Wrong Comparison of Deaths from COVID-19 and Influenza

This was misinterpreted right at the beginning of the pandemic, and I commented on it back then. We have two sets of data here: serologically confirmed COVID-19 deaths and estimated flu deaths derived from excess mortality data.

Let’s look at the data from Austria on the AGES (Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety) website. It states the following:

"Because influenza is often not recognized or recorded as a cause of death, it is international standard for influenza-related deaths to be estimated through modeling."

Influenza season / number of deaths estimated:

• 2015-2016: 259

• 2016-2017: 4436

• 2017-2018: 2851

• 2018-2019: 1373

• 2019-2020: 834

These numbers come from Austria and may seem relatively low to some of you (which they are not).

At first glance, comparing the number of flu deaths with the confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Austria may suggest that the values are similar. With around 800 to 900 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, it even seems that there are fewer fatalities than in previous flu seasons.

The problem with this comparison is that the official COVID-19 deaths are being compared to estimated figures from calculations regarding excess mortality for influenza. Such a comparison is not meaningful.

A proper comparison is generally difficult here. Due to lockdowns, contact restrictions, masks, and all other measures, all other deaths are also limited. Therefore, we may not even see excess mortality this year. What is the situation in other countries? Taking the USA as an example: It is evident that the number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths far exceeds the estimated flu deaths.

On the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) website, it is stated:

"The overall burden of influenza for the 2017-2018 season was an estimated 45 million influenza illnesses, 21 million influenza-associated medical visits, 810,000 influenza-related hospitalizations, and 61,000 influenza-associated deaths."

Influenza season / number of estimated deaths:

• 2018-2019: 34,000

• 2017-2018: 61,000

• 2016-2017: 38,000

• 2015-2016: 23,000

• 2014-2015: 51,000

In the last five years, there have been approximately 207,000 deaths due to complications following a flu illness.

From March 2019 to early October, 213,000 people have already died from COVID-19. That’s more COVID-19 deaths in less than 8 months than influenza deaths in the last 5 years.

And this holds true when comparing confirmed COVID-19 cases with estimated flu deaths. Here too, the actual number of COVID-19 deaths is likely much higher due to underreporting.

Recovered Does Not Mean Cured

Furthermore, one is only classified as a COVID-19 death if one dies within the first two weeks. After two weeks and a negative test result, one is automatically considered recovered. However, this does not mean that one must be completely healthy. While no longer infectious, individuals may still die weeks or months later from the consequences of a COVID-19 illness. Because the entire body can be affected by the infection, even symptom-free individuals may later experience complications, as some studies have shown.

Closing Words

The misinterpretation of COVID-19 data leads to an underestimation of the virus's danger. COVID-19 is a serious illness that can cause severe complications even in asymptomatic individuals. So, take it seriously, folks!