Singapore – A new study analyzing data from 47 Western nations has reignited the debate over pandemic measures and the impact of COVID-19 on excess deaths. The study found that despite measures like vaccines, masks, and social distancing, there were over 3 million reported excess deaths between January 2020 and December 2022. The annual number of excess deaths hovered around 1 million in the first two years before decreasing to about 800,000 in the last year, raising concerns about the efficacy of COVID-19 containment measures and vaccines.
Governments around the world implemented quick restrictions in response to COVID-19, such as business closures and stay-at-home orders. However, these measures had adverse indirect effects, including lack of access to healthcare and education, economic damage, and food insecurity. With hospitals overwhelmed, excess deaths spiked significantly, particularly from causes like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Although COVID-19 vaccines were provided to protect civilians, the study found that they did not always work as advertised. Clinical trials revealed serious risks associated with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, including death, hospitalization, and disability for a small percentage of individuals. Reports of post-vaccination deaths and injuries were also submitted to Western databases, prompting investigations into potential adverse effects of the vaccines.
Despite arguments that COVID-19 vaccines may have contributed to excess deaths, others argue that the majority of excess deaths were actually caused by COVID-19 itself rather than the vaccines. Some countries with high excess mortality rates had low vaccination rates, suggesting that the vaccines may have helped prevent deaths in those populations. It is important to note that according to a UK study, death rates from all causes were highest among the unvaccinated.
Critics of the study argue that it presents its findings in an unbalanced way, failing to acknowledge the millions of lives saved by restrictions and vaccines that allowed the world to navigate the pandemic more safely. While the study authors acknowledge their limitations in accessing accurate death rates and causes of death, they stress the importance of investigating every COVID-19 death and implementing new health crisis policies based on their findings. Postmortems are also being suggested for those who lost their lives during the pandemic to gain a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on excess mortality.