The number of deaths in Poland is decreasing. Before it was tragic

For two years, the number of deaths in Poland was dramatically high, related to COVID-19, but not only. Now, for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, this trend is reversing. Last week’s data is similar to 2019 and earlier.

1. Since the beginning of the pandemic on COVID-19, 116 have died in Poland. people. In total – more than a million
2. In 2021, almost 13 people died in Poland every week. people. Currently, it is over 8 thousand.
3. The reason for the decline may not only be the extinction of the pandemic. According to prof. Ewelina Nojszewska, it is also important to return to work of doctors of key specializations
4. The mortality statistics over the last two years have been terrifying – emphasizes former health minister Bolesław Piecha
5. You can find more about the coronavirus on the TvoiLokony home page

Fewer and fewer deaths in Poland

8 thousand 190 – this is how many people died in Poland from 18 to 25 April. Looking at the statistics of deaths registered by registry offices, this is almost the same as before the pandemic, writes Rzeczpospolita. In previous years, in the same period, the number of weekly deaths ranged between 7,4 thousand. and 8 thousand

The exception was the year of the 2021 pandemic, when this number reached a record 12,8 thousand. people. This year’s drops can be seen week by week, where the number of deaths is clearly decreasing – from over 12. deaths in the first week of January to over 8 thousand. at the end of April.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, 21 people died last week (April 27-19) due to COVID-99. The previous report, covering April 16-20, spoke of 105 deaths.

– To discover the real cause of this downward trend, it would need to be investigated over a longer timeline, i.e. in the following weeks. I do not exclude that the reason is not only the ending of the pandemic, but also the return to full work of doctors of key specialties for our mortality, such as cardiology or oncology – explains in an interview with Rzeczpospolita prof. dr hab. Ewelina Nojszewska, director of the Center for Research on the Functioning of the Healthcare System at the Warsaw School of Economics, former member of the NFZ Council and head of the healthcare system reform team at the Human Rights Defender.

– It cannot be ruled out that COVID-19, as well as deaths caused by not treating other diseases, have decimated us so much that we have rejuvenated as a society. However, this may be deceptive, especially since we have a group of about 2 million Ukrainians in Poland, largely not vaccinated not only against COVID-19, and we must take this into account in the coming months – he adds.

During the pandemic, the statistics were appalling

The trend in the number of deaths reverses after more than two years. During the pandemic, Poland was the infamous leader in this category.

– COVID-19, as well as the lack of access to treatment for other diseases, shortened the lives of many Poles, mortality statistics over the last two years were terrifying. This disrupted our life cycle, as evidenced by ZUS data, which calculates our pensions on the basis of life expectancy. Now they are higher, says Bolesław Piecha, PiS MP, doctor and former deputy health minister for Rzeczpospolita.

– Only in many months we will find out how the coronovirus can affect the health of many Poles in the long term – emphasizes Piecha.

The journal cites data from the National Institute of Public Health – National Research Institute on deaths in the past two years. “In 2020, the recorded number of deaths was higher than what could be expected on the basis of mortality in the period 2017-2019, by 12,7%, which means an absolute excess of the number of deaths by 53,9 thousand. people “. The first half of 2021 was even worse. The data was up 23,9 percent. higher than in previous years.

How many people died during the pandemic?

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in Poland, 19 have died due to COVID-116. people. It is 15th in the world and 6th in Europe. In terms of the number of inhabitants in our country, about 3 died. 70 out of a million people. This is the 17th result in the world.

However, the total number of deaths during this period looks dramatic. From March 2020, when the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Poland, 2022 million 1 thousand died until February 16. people.

«The pandemic had a double negative effect on our demographics. On the one hand, there is the effect of excess, premature death. Before the pandemic, slightly more than 400 people died annually. Poles. Over the past 24 months, the pandemic has added almost 200 to this number » – writes Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.

In 2021, the largest number of people died in Poland since World War II – over 506. It is about 40 thousand. more than in the equally tragic year 2020, when over 477 thousand people left Poles (68 thousand more than in 2019).

Eurostat data show that our country was at the top of the ranking of excess deaths in European countries last year. We have been on the podium several times in the list of countries with the highest excess death rate compared to the 2016-2019 period.

In January 2021, from 26 percent. we were seventh. In February, although the percentage was lower (11 percent) – on the sixth, and in March – from 38 percent. – on the fifth. In December, we were promoted to the first position. From 68,9 percent. we have become the leaders of the infamous list of countries where more people die than in the same period a few years ago. For comparison, in other EU countries it was on average 22,9 percent.

– In the hospital where I work, I deal with neglected patients: with increased circulatory failure and advanced neoplastic process. And statistics show that the average life expectancy of Poles is shortening, it was caused by the pandemic. Before we saw the opposite, we lived longer and longer. This is a big step backwards – explained in an interview with Medonet Dr. Beata Poprawa, MD, head of the Internal Medicine Department of the dr. B. Hager in Tarnowskie Góry. As she added, the pandemic revealed the failure of the entire health system in Poland.

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