The National Statistics Institute (INE) has just released the data from the first wave of coronavirus. Only in the first 5 months (actually 3, because the first two months there is no Covid): 50,000 deaths. In 3 months .
That is to say: 45,684 direct deaths from COVID + 4,218 cases in which the cause of death was not directly Covid, but rather their death was mainly due to other causes, but the virus has contributed to the death of these people.
First cause of death
Thus seen, it is the leading cause of death in Spain in that period of time … as well as adding all the deaths from all types of cancer simultaneously. It has also been analyzed where people have died: almost 14,000 people in nursing homes .
All in all, in general terms, infectious diseases (including identified virus # COVID19 and suspected COVID19) were the 2nd cause of death (20.9% of the total).
Deaths according to Cause of Death January-May 2019/2020 Infectious diseases (including # COVID19 virus identified and COVID19 suspected) were the 2nd cause of death (20.9% of the total) Press release👇 https://t.co/ WnnhEcgO2A Results➡️ https://t.co/626yXbopvW #INE pic.twitter.com/4DYLeNR9GJ
– INE Spain (@es_INE) December 10, 2020
They are almost final figures, apparently there is still a need to fine-tune things, so the figure could increase in a while. But, for now, 231,014 people died in Spain between January and May 2020 . Some 43,000 above the average for the 2016-2019 period. 47,000 above the average if we only count the period from March to May.
The Ministry of Health identified 27,127 deaths from coronavirus until May 31 with a diagnostic test. Not all the people who died in the first wave of the pandemic in Spain were tested to detect the coronavirus: the INE now numbers them at 18,557. 50,000 compared to 28,000 for Health. Almost double .
Now Health says we have about 18,000 dead since August. Obviously, there is more. We do not know if twice, but there it will go. If it were double, it would be 18,000 x 2 = 36,000. Which gives us a pessimistic total of 50,000 + 36,000 = 86,000 so far.
If we get optimistic and now Health counts its dead better, perhaps 10,000 less. If Health were to tell the whole truth (or could, because technically it still can’t), it would come out, as a hyperoptimistic figure: 68,000 . So we are in an approximate range of 68,000 – 86,000. And there is almost a month left to finish the year. The most pessimistic figure of all, although unlikely, could be close to 100,000 deaths from covid.