Over a thousand more deaths a year in the metropolitan city of Cagliari and as many in the province of Sassari. And here, in the chapter above, the death rate every twelve months is the highest in Sardinia: if the trend of 2022 were to be confirmed, in constant growth, over 5,800 death certificates would be recorded against approximately 330,000 residents. Within the municipalities that refer to the regional capital, on the other hand, there will be over 4,700, but the inhabitants are over 550,000.

The numbers published by Istat are merciless. The new bulletin, with the update up to October (included) confirms a trend that had appeared consolidated: much more people die on the island than before the pandemic. And dragging the indicators upwards are the territories belonging to the two main cities, while elsewhere the data are stable, albeit with a slight upward trend.

The statistical site takes into consideration the five-year period between 2015 and 2019, to make the average. For the following period the data are annual.

One fact immediately catches the eye: Sardinians are dying more now than when few knew the meaning of the word "coronavirus". And the problem, in 2022, is that the victims of Covid have drastically reduced. But the number of total deaths has continued to rise.

The provincial data allow us to go into more detail.

Cagliari, in the pre-Covid period, had an average of 3839 deaths a year. Southern Sardinia recorded more (3883). In the Nuoro area there were 2352, 1894 in the Oristano area and 4867 in the province of Sassari. In 2020 the capital with its metropolitan city rose to 4176 deaths in twelve months (down to 4070 in 2021), Nuoro to 2612 (2675 in 2021), Oristano to 2170 (2153 in 2021), Southern Sardinia to 4312 (4461 in 2021). Then the province of Sassari: 5694 dead in 2020, reduced to 5417 the following year. And now, in 2022, it travels at an average of 490 deaths every month, against 395 in the Cagliari area.

The virus no longer strikes directly. According to the opinion of the experts, the cures and early diagnoses for other pathologies were lacking.

Henry Fresu

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