COVID or COVID-related causes behind the rise.

Late last year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released a report of mortality statistics that showed there were 17 per cent more deaths (16,375) in Australia than the average expected between January and July 2022.

Another report by the Australian Actuaries Institute (statisticians who specialise in assessing risk for insurance companies), using a different methodology, found a 13 per cent excess mortality for the first eight months of 2022 (approximately 15,400 deaths), reported The Conversation.

Just over half of the excess mortality – 8200 deaths – are deaths from COVID. Another 2100 deaths are deaths with COVID. The remaining excess of 5100 deaths makes no mention of COVID on the death certificate.

The actuaries’ report suggests that the excess deaths not identified on death certificates as being due to COVID came from long COVID and interactions with other serious health conditions.

Excess deaths also came from delays in emergency care as our health systems buckled under pressure, and delays in routine care as people avoided healthcare settings due to fear of catching COVID.

There is also evidence that a higher proportion of people made less healthy lifestyle choices during lockdowns, such as drinking more alcohol and exercising less.

It is almost certain some of the excess deaths are from undiagnosed COVID.

‘Excess deaths also came from delays in emergency care as our health systems buckled under pressure, and delays in routine care as people avoided healthcare settings due to fear of catching COVID.’