Without trying to be morose, inevitably there must be a 'catch up' in the number of deaths in Australia this year or next:
(from the excellent 'The Australian', Thursday 25 February 2021 - worth subscribing to):
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.