61% of excess deaths in 2021 attributed to Covid-19 so far

The city recorded 16,890 excess deaths in 2021, of which about 10,289 or 61% have been certified as Covid deaths. What contributed to the remaining deaths will be known once the coding and classification of all 1,08,113 deaths are complete, said Dr Mangala Gomare, BMC's executive health officer, adding that 75,000-odd deaths have been analysed so far.

- Sumitra DebRoy

"Mumbai's data again underlines the heavy toll the pandemic has exerted on the population," said Dr Avinash Supe, who heads the Covid death audit committee. "It is well accepted now that there were deaths due to Covid and deaths related to Covid, say heart attacks, strokes that may have occurred post-infection," he added.

"Excess mortality can no longer be debated, and Mumbai, which probably has over 95% death registration, underlines that," said an Indian Institute for Population Sciences expert who didn't wish to be named. Both concurred that 2022 would be a crucial year to gauge if mortality trends normalise with Covid severity declining.

A study of the 2020 deaths, reported by TOI, had shown 15% higher fatalities due to heart attack and cardiac problems and 39% rise in deaths attributable to diabetes compared to the prepandemic years. "We need a deep analysis of socio-economic and medical causes to explain the excess deaths of 2021," Gomare said, adding that although there was no lockdown that year, the deadly Delta-driven second wave wreaked havoc.