The death toll from COVID-19 can be lowered by 60% compared with official reports – media

The number of deaths from coronavirus infection in the world may be about 60% higher than reported in official estimates. To such conclusion came the British newspaper Financial Times, which analyzed mortality rates in 14 countries and regions during a pandemic.

Journalists have compared mortality from all causes in March – April 2020 with the average for the same period 2015-2019. The usual mortality rate exceeded 50% relative to the historical average for these places.

Total mortality increased by 60% in Belgium, 51% in Spain, 42% in the Netherlands and 34% in France during the pandemic compared to the same period in previous years. Most dramatically, this indicator increased in regions where there are the most powerful flash COVID-19. Hence, the majority of deaths directly linked to the virus, although in the official reports is not taken into account, concluded the authors.

Now in the world from coronavirus disease died at least 318 thousand.

Some countries, including China, has retrospectively revised the number of deaths of its citizens, recalled in the Financial Times.

The distortion of official statistics is likely to be even greater at the expense of countries with lower income levels, suggest journalists.

Director General of the world health organization tedros adhanom Ghebreyesus said on 27 April that due to the relative small number of tests known not all cases of infection and deaths COVID-19.

Flash coronavirus infection COVID-19 began in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan. March 11, the world health organization declared the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. As of April 28, coronavirus infection has infected 3.1 million people, including 215.1 thousand died, thousand 921,2 recovered, according to the American Johns Hopkins University.