Summary:
Lisbon and Vale do Tejo had the highest excess deaths with 9,484 total, 82% due to COVID-19.
Excess mortality rates varied significantly from 174 in the North to 413 in Alentejo.
The Autonomous Regions and Algarve showed non-significant excess mortality.
Variations in mortality rates attributed to factors like age structure and pandemic intensity.
The study analyzed data from March 2020 to December 2021, marking the highest excess mortality in Portugal's history.
Lisbon and Tejo Valley: The Hardest Hit
According to a study by the Instituto Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon and Vale do Tejo recorded the highest number of excess deaths during the first two years of the pandemic, totaling 9,484 deaths, with 82% attributed to COVID-19.
The report highlights that regions from the North to Alentejo showed an increasing gradient of mortality excess, with the percentage of deaths directly linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection varying from 63% in Alentejo to 83% in the Center.
Significant Regional Disparities
Among the health regions experiencing significant mortality excess, the rate increased from 174 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in the North to 413 deaths per 100,000 in Alentejo. Despite Alentejo's higher excess death rate, it had the lowest proportion of deaths directly attributable to COVID-19.
In contrast, the Autonomous Regions and the Algarve experienced a non-significant excess mortality, with rates ranging from 141 per 100,000 inhabitants in Madeira to 224 per 100,000 in the Algarve.
Factors Influencing Mortality Rates
The study, commissioned by former Health Minister Marta Temido in March 2020, suggests that these variations are likely due to a combination of factors, including differences in pandemic intensity across regions, as well as variations in the age, social, and economic structures of the populations and their mobility.
A Historical Context
The analysis covers the period from March 2020, when the first COVID-19 case was identified in Portugal, to December 31, 2021. During this time, Portugal experienced its highest recorded excess mortality, second only to the 1918 influenza pandemic. By the end of 2021, 1,408,420 confirmed cases and 18,977 COVID-19 deaths were reported, with four pandemic waves, the most severe occurring between October 2020 and February 2021.
Vaccination efforts against COVID-19 commenced on December 27, 2020.
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