Covid-19 kills more than leading death causes for a typical month of May

During the month of May, Brazil confirmed 22,985 deaths caused by the coronavirus. Comparing the figures to the leading causes of death in a typical month of May (average mortality between 2014 and 2018), we see that Covid-19 has been deadlier than all of them.

The data is not directly comparable, but it gives a good glimpse of the human toll of Covid-19 in Brazil. Furthermore, when we consider that nearly every Brazilian state has suffered from massive underreporting, the scenario looks bleaker still. 

Last week, data editor Marcelo Soares headed a study analyzing death records in Brazil between 2003 and 2019. On average, the country’s overall mortality rate grew from 5.6 to 6.1 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants between 2003 and 2018. This can largely be put down to the fact that the Brazilian population is aging, impacting directly on the denominator of death rates. However, changes in the economy and regional dynamics can also have an impact.

This report has instantly become a historical document that will allow us to measure the impact of the Covid-19 crisis in the near future, from both a health and economic perspective, once 2020 data is available.

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