The number of Covid deaths in Luxembourg includes people who have died of Covid-related illness, as well as those who were Covid-positive at the time of their death. The latter refers to people who had a positive PCR result prior to their death. The Ministry of Health clarified it thus: “A person who has died of a myocardial infarction or car accident and has had a positive PCR test will also be declared a Covid death.”
The University Hospital in Regensburg (1) conducted a number of autopsies on patients who died of Covid during the first wave of the pandemic as part of a study. The study’s authors concluded that virtually all of the patients would have survived had they not contracted Covid.
Equally, the University Hospital in Hamburg-Eppendorf examined 735 victims, 618 of whom died of coronavirus (2).
International studies show clearly that the majority of Covid deaths were due to the patients dying of Covid, rather than other causes alongside a Covid diagnosis.
According to figures up to 21 January 2022, Luxembourg had recorded 943 Covid deaths. 509 people died before the vaccines became available in the Grand Duchy (the first vaccines were administered on 28 December 2020).
Out of the 434 deaths which took place in 2021 and early 2022, 360 were either not fully vaccinated, or not vaccinated at all.
74 people passed away despite receiving two doses of the vaccine.
At the time of writing, just under 80% of the population aged 12 and over were considered to be fully vaccinated. However, in spite of these figures, the majority of coronavirus victims in Luxembourg were unvaccinated.
Data from the USA shows the clear distinction of the virus’ effects on the unvaccinated.
The Ministry of Health said there had been a noticeable increase in mortality at the end of 2020. However, in the last few months, a higher mortality rate had not been observed. For reference, the Ministry pointed to the European project EuroMOMO (3), which displays regularly updated data from all member states with regard to deaths.
Sources
(1) https://static-content.springer.com/pdf/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00428-020-03014-0.pdf?token=1643113509583--a5417348b9bf758a83fa26ec364f627b4aab0218d1cf1a07e31f0fa2ec11d415ec3c5c9391b6b48bcb4174f3a07b12a54ef1365ed18ecd0630b5d7dfdb102825
(2) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-98499-3.pdf?origin=ppub
(3) https://www.euromomo.eu/graphs-and-maps/
