BRUSSELS - In an art deco building in the heart of Brussels, Belgium's leading scientists gather daily to announce the country's coronavirus toll. It's been grim reading.
Unlike many other countries, the home of the European Union's top institutions counts deaths at nursing homes even if there wasn't a confirmed infection. At the start of each briefing at the Residence Palais, a stone's throw from the European Commission, Belgian officials detail the day's statistics in French and Dutch. They draw particular attention to those who die outside of hospitals - typically around half the total.
Excess Mortality Yet not all European countries are measuring the impact in the same way, meaning that the numbers of coronavirus deaths are likely thousands higher than the official count of more than 110,000. Germany's unusually low mortality rate may be helped by the fact that the country only counts deaths that have a positive virus test.
Good Surveillance Belgium's practice means that nearly all deaths are accounted for in a given week, while neighbouring Netherlands has around 1,000 undefined fatalities. Some countries' virus deaths are around a sixth of their excess mortality rates.
The critical mortality rate is high. Indicating that these countries did not intervene early, the mild exacerbation was severe and critical.