Paris (AFP)
The Covid-19 epidemic caused an excess mortality peak in Europe of 50% more deaths between the end of March and the beginning of April, according to figures from INSEE showing that France, Spain, Belgium and the Italy were the most affected.
While in previous years mortality tended to decrease in March after the seasonal flu episodes, it has on the contrary increased significantly this year, reaching a peak, both in France and in Europe, the week of March 30, reveals Wednesday the National Institute of Statistics.
Thus, between March 30 and April 6, 50% more deaths were recorded in Europe compared to an average based on the number of deaths the same week for the period 2016-2019.
This proportion reached 60% in France, 155% in Spain, 91% in Belgium (then 107% in this country the following week) and 67% in Italy (88% the previous week, the peak having been reached a week earlier. ).
The excess mortality was then gradually reduced to almost cancel out at the beginning of May.
More broadly, for a period from March 2 to April 26, almost the bulk (84%) of the excess mortality observed in the 21 European countries for which INSEE had data is attributable to Spain, to Italy, Belgium and France.
The excess mortality was respectively 71% in Spain, 49% in Italy, 44% in Belgium and 28% in France over the whole of the eight weeks when the epidemic was strongest.
Conversely, in Germany, the most populous country in Europe, excess mortality is much lower (4% over the same period), as for a large part of the countries of central and eastern Europe.
Both in France and in Europe, the increase in mortality has affected men and people over 50 more, particularly those over 70.
© 2020 AFP