Funeral professionals know: mortality increases on average by 10% during winter. But since Christmas 2024, it has experienced an unusual increase. The flu epidemic is indeed considered severe by the National Public Health Agency.
At the General Funeral Service (PGF), it is the cause of 8% of deaths, according to Virginie Guilhem, director of the eight agencies in Metz and Moselle-Est. On the other hand, suicides, more frequent in winter, “are not more numerous this year”, estimates Dominique Acquaviva, manager of the eponymous company based in Marly. Sudden temperature variations have had an impact on mortality among the elderly, according to professionals. But no phenomenon alone explains this “surplus” in the number of deaths in Moselle, “of the order of 9%”, says the boss of Acquaviva.
Juggling slots
When funeral rooms are saturated, “hospitals keep the…
