SINGAPORE — Covid-19 fatalities among residents accounted for about half of the"excess deaths" logged last year, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung in Parliament on Monday .
“There are excess deaths in 2021 because there has been a global pandemic causing millions of deaths around the world and Singapore is not exempted,” he said. “If the death rate goes up in a pandemic above that expected in the absence of a pandemic, and over what is expected from population ageing, it means there are excess deaths,” he said.
"During a pandemic, excess deaths will be higher than officially reported deaths directly caused by the disease," said Mr Ong, citing reasons such as changes in care-seeking behaviours and deaths where Covid-19 infection might have been a contributory factor but not the main cause.
Third, individuals with chronic conditions may have put off their check-ups and treatments during the pandemic, to their own detriment, he said.
Now, with or without underlying conditions?
So if covid had caused half the excess death, what other event could have caused the other half? The 2-year lockdown.