Excess Mortality in Cyprus during the COVID-19 Epidemic

Findings raise serious concerns regarding the potential impact of the vaccination campaign and other causes on mortality.

Author Summary

Why was this study done?

• The COVID-19 pandemic constituted a new challenge for public health and has resulted in a number of negative health related consequences, including increased all-cause mortality.

• Excess mortality is a crucial measure of the true impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What did the researchers do and find?

• The aim of our present study was to examine the excess deaths occurring in Cyprus over the past three years as compared to the average mortality observed during the pre-pandemic period.

• Data reported by the Cyprus Ministry of Health to the European Statistical Office (Eurostat) were used to analyze excess mortality in Cyprus over a 7-year period (2016 – 2022).

• Information collected by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on a weekly basis regarding COVID-19 vaccination doses and related deaths were also analyzed.

• The findings of our study demonstrated a substantial, statistically significant, increase in mortality (excess mortality) from all causes in the general population, particularly during the third and fourth quarters of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022.

What do these findings mean?

• We concluded that excess mortality occurs in unprecedented levels in Cyprus.

• Based on the findings of our study, we conclude that it is of paramount importance to conduct similar studies across different European countries and do cross-check analysis in order to timely evaluate the excess mortality documented among European populations.

• Public health policy makers and associated professionals need to explore the documented excess mortality in the general population and elicit the underlying causes for this unprecedented negative public health outcome.

Economidou EC, Markou N, Prokopi K, Avraam D, Soteriades ES (2024) Excess Mortality in Cyprus during the COVID-19 Epidemic. J Community Med Public Health 8: 407. https://doi.org/10.29011/2577-2228.100407