Deaths in the age of a pandemic are talked about almost exclusively in the context of the coronavirus. If someone was dying, it was probably COVID-19 or “at least” the diseases accompanying the infection. Meanwhile, according to the data of the National Institute of Public Health-National Research Institute (NIPP-PIB), COVID-19 is not the disease of which Poles die most often. Which diseases claimed the most deaths in the first half of 2021?

  1. The NIPI-PIB published a report on the mortality of Poles by cause of death in the first half of 2021 compared to the situation in 2017-2019 and 2020
  2. The data show that in 2020 there were 53,9 thous. excess deaths. Over 76 percent was caused by COVID-19
  3. The number of deaths of the total population of Poland in the first half of 2021 was 23,9%. higher than would be expected based on mortality in the corresponding period before the pandemic
  4. In the first half of last year, mortality from blood diseases, immune mechanisms, and infectious and parasitic diseases increased the most.
  5. The excess mortality due to mental disorders in 2021 increased significantly, which may be related to the excessive consumption of alcohol
  6. A very large surplus of deaths among women and rural residents is also noteworthy
  7. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Excess deaths in Poland – not only COVID-19

More and more is said about the excess mortality of Poles during the pandemic. Not only the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 (over 115) is terrifying, but also the underestimated, according to experts, the numbers of victims of other diseases, the diagnosis and treatment of which due to the pandemic has been severely limited.

According to the NIPP-NRI data, only in 2020 the recorded number of deaths was higher than that which could be expected on the basis of mortality in 2017-2019, by 12,7%. This means that in the first year of the pandemic died by 53,9 thousand more people than it was estimated by analysts.

  1. Read also: Excess deaths. Poland at the top of the infamous ranking

It should come as no surprise that with so many victims of the coronavirus, this surplus was largely due to COVID-19 (76,9%). However, this does not mean that the excess mortality was solely due to infection. Though causes not precisely defined, they accounted for as much as 38,4 percent. excess deaths, others have been indicated very specific. These are: endocrine disorders (17,9%), cardiovascular diseases (13,7%), digestive system diseases (7,3%) and nervous system diseases (7,2%).

Although there were many deaths in these groups of diseases, the differences between the observed and the expected number of deaths for each of the main groups of diseases attract attention. The largest one concerns endocrine disorders – an increase by 29 percentage points was recorded here, but an equally significant difference can be seen in the case of diseases of the genitourinary system (19%) and the nervous system (17%).

The rest of the text below the video.

What did Poles die of in 2021?

When analyzing the data presented by the NIPP-NRI, two issues should be borne in mind. Firstly, the fact that mortality due to diseases from a particular group increased does not mean that there were many of them in total. This is evident in the case of blood disorders and immune mechanisms. Mortality increased here by 118 percent. (first place on the list), although the deaths themselves were “only” 319. Secondly, we do not have detailed data for the previous year, so we are not able to determine which specific diseases are responsible for the surplus.

  1. See also: In 2021, over half a million people died in Poland. The most tragic year since World War II

Regardless of these limitations, some findings should be of great concern to us. Speech incl. about a significant increase in deaths from mental and behavioral disorderswhich exceeded the number expected in the first half of 2021 by nearly 30 percent. The Institute’s analysts link this fact with excessive alcohol consumption – a problem already signaled in recent years, which the pandemic could have exacerbated (increased consumption, but also a change in the style of alcohol consumption). It is worth remembering that at that time access to specialists and therapy was limited, which also had an impact on the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.

  1. Will there be a rash of alcoholics after the pandemic? «Most liquor stores have to be closed»

The very large excess of deaths among women is also alarming – it is as much as 60 percent. and twice the excess of deaths among rural residents (44%) than urban residents (22%). In the latter case, the “culprits” are primarily mental disorders caused by excessive alcohol consumption (nearly 90%) and diseases related to nutrition, digestion, internal secretion and metabolic changes. From the data from 2020, we know that diabetes and chronic liver diseases are among the most common diseases in these groups (causing death).

  1. Read also: The number of deaths after the pandemic terrifies doctors. «Whoever survived, survived. And whoever was weaker died »

Fewer people die of cancer (not at all) than before

The report focuses primarily on the excess deaths, but in one case the peculiarity is also the lower than expected number of victims. It concerns cancer and respiratory diseases, which in the first half of 2021 were less than expected. However, as emphasized by the authors of the analysis, this does not mean that fewer people actually died of cancer or respiratory disease.

Rather, the smaller number results from “attributing the deaths of people with these diseases and a simultaneous history of COVID-19 to the latter disease.which is consistent with coding recommendations for the cause of death ». As emphasized, the explanation of this phenomenon is to be the subject of further analyzes. “This will involve checking the medical history of those who have died who have COVID-19 as the underlying cause of death.”

  1. See also: The hidden victims of the pandemic. Scary death data outside the statistics
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