Epidemiological Objectives

  • To investigate differences in all-cause and cause-specific mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic and over the same months in the previous 5 years, in selected countries. 
  • To determine the causes for any net differences in total mortality between the current pandemic period and the same period in previous years, in selected countries.    
  • To investigate possible underreporting of COVID-19 mortality in selected countries and apply a common way of counting deaths. 
  • To determine premature mortality as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in selected countries. 
  • To investigate the long-term mortality burden of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the impact of potential subsequent epidemic waves in selected countries.

Data Collection Specifics

  • Crude all-cause mortality, in weeks, from beginning of 2015 until end of December 2020
  • Gender and Age specific all-cause mortality, in weeks, from beginning of 2015 until end of December 2020
  • Total number of Covid-19 deaths, in weeks, from January 2020 until end of December 2020
  • Gender and Age specific Covid-19 deaths, in weeks, from January 2020 until end of December 2020
  • Where available: Crude cause-specific mortality, in weeks, from beginning of 2015 until end of December 2020
  • Where available: Gender and Age specific cause-specific mortality, in weeks, from beginning of 2015 until end of December 2020