Coronavirus: mortality in France returns to normal in May

"Since May 1, there is no longer any excess mortality in France compared to the two previous years". This is explained by INSEE in its weekly publication based on civil status data, which does not detail the causes of death.

After several weeks of increase in the number of deaths, especially in the regions most affected by the coronavirus, France thus finds in May the same levels of mortality as in 2019 and 2018, according to these figures published Friday.

Between May 1 and May 18, 27,218 deaths were recorded on the territory, which is 6% less than in 2019 and 1% less than in 2018. In March and April, mortality increased sharply in France, with a peak seen in late March-early April.

89% more deaths in Ile-de-France in March and April

In the regions most affected by the new coronavirus epidemic, the number of deaths observed since the beginning of May also decreases: in the Grand Est, 4% fewer deaths between May 1 and 18 compared to 2019 and 3% more compared to 2018; in Hauts-de-France -3% compared to 2019 and + 4% compared to 2018; and, in Burgundy Franche-Comté -1% and + 8%.

Mortality remains slightly higher in Île-de-France: + 6% compared to 2019 and + 4% compared to 2018. As a reminder, the increase for the period from March 1 to April 30 was 89% compared to compared to 2019. Thus, deaths are still slightly increasing in all the Ile-de-France departments, except the Yvelines (-10% compared to 2019).

The first half of May, the drop is also strong in South Corsica (-20% compared to 2019), the Vosges (-19%), Haute-Saône (-16%), the Rhône (-11%) and the Moselle (-9%), departments particularly affected by the virus.

However, the drop in mortality is more marked among those under 50 "who were also spared from the increase in mortality in March-April," said INSEE.

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Mortality is still high in France in 2020 with 156,302 people dying between March 1 and May 18, 19% more than in 2019 and 13% more than in 2018.

According to the latest assessment, the coronavirus caused the death of 28,662 people in France.