Belgium recorded more than 6,000 additional deaths in 2022, and the Covid is not always the only responsible…
If we compare this number (still provisional) to the average over five years, it appears that around 6,000 additional deaths have been reported, an increase of 5.5%. The months of April, August and December were particularly deadly.
Mortality fluctuates from year to year under the effect of various factors, such as the intensity of the seasonal flu, the temperatures measured in summer or air pollution. The average for the years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 is however 110,328 deaths. The year 2020, which experienced an unusual peak (126,850 deaths) due to the coronavirus pandemic, was not included in this reference period.
Covid and flu
The increase in deaths in 2022 is particularly striking for the months of April (10,313 deaths, or +15.2% compared to the five-year average), August (9,196, +10.6%) and December (11,869, +15.7%). “The causes are most likely diverse”, analyzes Statbel, which nevertheless puts forward a few hypotheses.
Thus, the April peak could be explained by the combined action of the coronavirus and the flu. The sixth wave of Covid-19 (between February 28 and May 29) indeed coincided with the flu epidemic, notes the Sciensano Public Health Institute, which also publishes its own bulletin on excess mortality on Thursday.
The summer of 2022 has, for its part, been exceptionally hot. The month of August thus experienced a daily maximum temperature of at least 20ºC, a first according to the Royal Meteorological Institute. As a result, the air quality has not always been good, notes Statbel, according to whom the excess mortality last summer is the highest of the last 20 summer seasons.
For December, there is no clear explanation either, points out Statbel. However, the 9th wave of the coronavirus began on November 21, adding to a second epidemic of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to the Sciensano bulletin.
In general, the excess mortality is particularly noticeable in Flanders and Wallonia, as well as among women and people aged over 85.