Around 2,200 people have died in Finland this year from a coronavirus infection, or in cases where the infection was a contributing factor.
"Causes of death are verified from death certificates. So far in 2023, about 1,200 deaths [were directly] caused by the coronavirus have been recorded on death certificates," said Tuija Leino, head of the immunisation programme unit at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
These confirmed coronavirus deaths are about a third of those recorded last year, when the virus caused the deaths of 3,800 individuals and contributed to around around 2,400 more fatalities.
The THL predicts that the number of coronavirus-linked deaths will probably increase over the next few weeks, even though the autumn's peak in infections has already clearly passed.
According to the THL, coronavirus deaths this past autumn were most common among the very elderly. The average age of those who died from a coronavirus infection was approximately 85.
"Increasingly, in connection with a coronavirus infection, the cause of death is something other than the virus, usually dementia or heart disease," explained Leino.
THL monitoring reports on coronavirus deaths are based on preliminary reviews of death certificates. Official figures on cause of death are prepared and published annually by Statistics Finland.
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