Excess deaths doesn't work either. Gun violence has increased everywhere. So have suicides in my region of the world. I don't know who or why this comment got flagged, it doesn't change reality
Excess deaths in a decent model account for other explanatory factors (war, sociopolitical things, etc.) that are not linked to the factor in question (covid-19 here). I'm not suggesting the crude arithmetical number of excess deaths is the key, but that a nuanced estimate of excess deaths in a model that accounts for other significant factors is a far better measure than anything else we have available.
