Coronavirus: Winter influenza deaths fell to just two

Just two people in Australia died from influenza between late April and November last year.

Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid.

Just two people in Australia died from influenza between late April and November last year, and the overall number of recorded deaths across the country was significantly lower in 2020 than in ­recent years.

The fall was driven by fewer ­fatalities from respiratory diseases, including pneumonia and influenza, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals, and comes despite almost 1000 Australians dying from COVID-19 in the same period.

High levels of social distancing, greater attention to hygiene measures such as hand washing during the lockdown and a strong take up of the flu vaccination were also responsible for the decline.

The ABS data shows 10,813 people died from respiratory disease between January 1 and November 24 last year, down from an average of more than 13,000 a year across the previous five years.

Winter and spring saw the biggest fall, with 5872 deaths from respiratory issues between June 3 and November 24, some 2537 deaths below the 2015-19 average.

Influenza and pneumonia deaths were down to 1952 in 2020, more than 1000 fewer than the previous five-year average of 3097. And there were hardly any deaths from the flu.

“From January 1 to November 24, 2020, there have been 42 deaths due to influenza, with 40 of those deaths occurring before 22 April,” the ABS report found.

“These figures show what a deadly disease the flu is in a normal year,” Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid told The Australian.

“To have just two flu deaths ­recorded between April and ­November is extraordinary.

“We can see that record influenza vaccinations, combined with better social distancing and improved hygiene practices, have saved lives,” Dr Khorshid said.

“These are lessons we must hold on to in the post-COVID world.”

 

Overall, there were 126,974 certified deaths in Australia between January 1 and November 24 last year, compared to a baseline average of 127,872 over the past five years. That figure includes the 909 Australians who died of COVID-19.

Deaths did spike during the first wave of coronavirus to hit Australia between March and April, the ABS data shows.

“Over the four weeks from March 18 to April 14 there were a total of 11,066 deaths, 933 more than the historic average for 2015-19,” the report said.

But from mid-May to the end of October, which included the ­period when most of Australia’s coronavirus fatalities occurred, overall deaths tumbled below the historic average, only returning to the baseline from November.

“The 909 Australian deaths from COVID are tragedies, but Australia has been spared the worst impacts of COVID,” Dr Khorshid said.

Deaths from heart disease also tracked lower in 2020 than in previous years. There were 12,151 deaths occurring from ischaemic heart disease, which includes heart attacks, between January 1 and November 24 last year. That figure was down from an average of 13,763 over the same period ­between 2015 and 2019.

But deaths due to cancer, diabetes and dementia including Alzheimer’s disease were all slightly higher than average across 2020.

There were 42,945 cancer deaths between January and November, up from the average of 41,545 for the previous five years.

Deaths from dementia have grown steadily in Australia over the past 20 years as the population ages. It is now the second leading cause of death.