The number of deaths also exceeded the five-year average in October, almost 150 people died from the COVID-19 infection

The more than two-thirds month-on-month increase in deaths from coronavirus infection caused its movement from eighth to sixth place in the ranking of the most common causes of death. The overall excess mortality rate in the SR was at the level of 5%. The worst situation was in Košický kraj, where the number of deaths was more than 13% higher than the average for the years 2015-2019.

More than 4,600 people died in Slovakia in October, which is the fourth lowest number in the last twelve months. The number of deaths was 4.7% higher than the average value of the same month in 2015-2019 before the onset of the pandemic1). This follows from preliminary data on the number of deaths and causes of death in October 2022, published by the Statistical Office of the SR. The office also adjusted the data for the first nine months of this year.

"The impacts of the coronavirus on mortality are slightly worsening again, in October 145 people died from the COVID-19 disease, which is more than 70% more than in September 2022. However, the number of victims was three times lower than a year ago in October, when the impacts of the third wave of the pandemic began to be more pronounced," said Zuzana Podmanická, Director of the Population Statistics Department of the SOSR.

From the beginning of the pandemic (March 2020) to the end of October 2022, the coronavirus caused a total of more than 21.5 thousand deaths in Slovakia.

Compared to the 5-year average before the pandemic, significantly fewer people died in October 2022 in the group of people of productive age (from 15 to 64 years). A lower number of deaths was also recorded in the group of persons of pre-productive age (from 0 to 14 years). Excess mortality was recorded only in the group of seniors over 65 years of age, which is the most numerous of the three basic age groups in the structure of the deceased. In October 2022, it reached almost 12%, when a total of approximately 3.6 thousand seniors died (they accounted for more than 79% of all deaths).

In contrast to previous months, the development of mortality in both subgroups of seniors, i.e. younger seniors (from 65 to 74 years old) and persons over 75 years old, was relatively the same.

Only Trenčiansky kraj recorded a lower number of deaths (by 4%) compared to the five-year average before the onset of the pandemic. The remaining seven regions reached excess mortality, the lowest was recorded in Bratislavský kraj (2%) and the highest in Košický kraj (13%).

Compared to September, the value of excess mortality deteriorated in four regions of Slovakia, namely in Banskobystrický, Trnavský, Košický and Prešovský kraj. Lower excess mortality was registered in Trenčiansky, Bratislavský a Žilinský kraj.

COVID-19 has once again risen in the list of the most common causes of death

In October, 145 people died from the COVID-19 infection. Their number increased by more than two-thirds, month-on-month. With a share of more than 3%, this cause of death moved from the eighth to the sixth rank among the 22 disease groups). In August, it was the seventh most common cause of death in Slovakia.

The most common causes of death in the tenth month of this year were diseases of the circulatory system, which represented 47% of deaths (almost 2.2 thousand people) and tumors for 23% (more than 1 thousand people). These two groups of deaths have long been among the most common causes of death. 1% more people died from diseases of the circulatory system in October compared to the 2015-2019 average. In case of tumors, almost by 9% fewer people died than the five-year average 2015-2019. Only in June of this year more people died from this cause than the average for the same month 2015-2019.

In October, the first five most common causes2) were completed by deaths from diseases of the respiratory system (10%), digestive system (5%) and external causes of death (4%).