All-cause mortality supports the COVID-19 mortality in Belgium and comparison with major fatal events of the last century.
Natalia Bustos SierraNathalie BossuytToon BraeyeMathias LeroyIsabelle MoyersoenIlse PeetersAline ScohyJohan Van der HeydenHerman Van OyenFrançoise RenardPublished in: Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique (2020)
Trends in all-cause mortality during the first wave of the epidemic was a key indicator to validate the Belgium's high COVID-19 mortality figures. A COVID-19 mortality surveillance limited to deaths from hospitalised and selected laboratory-confirmed cases would have underestimated the magnitude of the epidemic. Excess mortality, daily and monthly number of deaths in Belgium were historically high classifying undeniably the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic as a fatal event.