March Deaths Nearly Doubled in Coronavirus-Hit Northern Italy

(Bloomberg) --

As the coronavirus raged through Italy's northern economic heartland in March, deaths almost doubled in comparison with the month's average for the previous five years.

Some of the region's worst-hit provinces, like Bergamo and Cremona, saw increases of as much as sixfold during the month, according to a report. Italy's overall mortality during March was almost 50% higher than in the previous five years.

Countries around the world are reporting higher death rates linked to the pandemic. Weekly deaths in England and Scotland reached a 20-year high in April with mortality for the week ending April 10 exceeding the previous five year's average by 76%.

Italy recorded 90,946 deaths from February 20, when the first patient diagnosed of Covid-19 died, to March 31. The average for the same period from 2015 through 2019 was 65,592, according to the report from Istat and the National Health Insitute. More than half of the excess deaths were in coronavirus patients, according to the report.

Much of the rest of the excess mortality, some 11,600 people, can be indirectly attributed to the pandemic, the report said. Victims may have been those who weren't able to get needed care because of the strain on the health system, those whose existing illnesses were exacerbated by the coronavirus, or undiagnosed Covid-19 patients.

Italy started easing its stringent lockdown on Monday, after reporting the fewest deaths since the beginning of restrictions on Sunday.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.