A. Xanthos: The government is arbitrarily and undocumentedly changing the record of covid deaths because it does not suit them

“Every time the pandemic is in full swing and the paradoxically high number of daily deaths puts our country in the worst position in Western Europe, the Minister of Health, Mr. Pleuris, brings back the issue of changing the current way of recording covid-related deaths,” he says The Head of Health of SYRIZA PS, Andreas Xanthos.

Mr. Xanthos accuses Th. Pleuris of “adopting the basic argument of pandemic deniers and conspiracy theorists”, namely “that there are “fake” deaths billed as covid” and underlines that “what we need today is better epidemiological surveillance with based on reliable data”.

The statement in detail:

“Every time the pandemic is in full swing and the paradoxically high number of daily deaths puts our country in the worst position in Western Europe, the Minister of Health Mr. Pleuris brings back the issue of changing the current way of recording covid-related deaths, which allegedly gives “falsely increased” mortality. So when the ongoing health tragedy of 40-50 deaths/day cannot be hidden and for which the government has heavy political responsibilities and when the abolition of the daily report of the EODY does not seem to work communicationally, here comes the Minister of Health and adopts the basic argument of pandemic deniers and conspiracy theorists!That there are “fake” deaths billed as covid!

Here are some issues of scientific and political substance:

1. Greece applies, like all EU countries, the death registration model recommended by the World Health Organization and the ECDC. What this model predicts: “any death with clinically compatible disease and a positive covid test, in the absence of recovery or a clearly unrelated cause (e.g. trauma), is considered a covid death”. Based on this definition, the vast majority of deaths recorded in Greece meet these criteria, so they are deaths from and not covid. Has this internationally accepted methodology changed anywhere and we don’t know it?

2. Is it possible after 2.5 years of pandemic and in the midst of a new epidemic wave to change arbitrarily and undocumented the way of recording deaths, because it is not in the interest of the government? Does the Minister not understand that this will give the “free shot” to the already damaged credibility of the government and scientific bodies and will strengthen the crisis of confidence of the society?

3. Where did Mr. Pleuris come up with this division (deaths from and with covid) which has no scientific basis? Because it is known that death is a multifactorial phenomenon, it usually results from a combination of multiple underlying disorders and the “causal chain” that leads to it is not always obvious. So who can confidently rule out that covid infection affected the final outcome of a serious pre-existing disease?

To finish. What we need today is better epidemiological surveillance based on reliable data, dispersal control measures and support for the already strained NHS, not complacency and criminally irresponsible inaction. By “cooking” evidence and communication tricks, the only thing the government will achieve is to “make its humiliation perfect”! Although after the wiretapping case, she doesn’t seem to be too busy…”