The repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic are not over yet. According to a report by reinsurer Swiss Remany countries still see excess mortality.
Excess mortality could persist until 2033, Swiss Re announced on Monday. In the United States, for example, the mortality rate could still be 3% higher than the pre-pandemic level in ten years.
The main causes of this excess mortality are respiratory diseases, to which should also be added cardiovascular diseases, cancers and metabolic disorders. According to Swiss Re, there is a close link between Covid-19 and the mortality rate from cardiovascular diseases.
Indirect impact
On the one hand, the virus itself can contribute to heart failure. On the other hand, SARS-CoV-2 also has an indirect effect due to an overload of the healthcare system. This overload led to delays in important analyses and operations, so that diseases such as high blood pressure often went undiagnosed and therefore untreated.
In order to reduce excess mortality to zero, the effects of Covid-19 on elderly and at-risk population groups must be reduced, writes Swiss Re, for example through vaccination. In the longer term, a normalisation of the health sector, medical progress and healthier lifestyles are required.
