People living with disabilities died at a disproportionate rate in the early stages of Finland's Covid-19 pandemic.

Figures from the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) show that in 2020 some 20,328 people aged 16-64 claimed disability benefits.

Of those people, 261 died. The mortality rate among men was 1.5 percent and among women it was 1.1 percent.

That means the mortality rate of men in this category increased by 26 percent in 2020, and that of women rose by 27 percent. Among the general population mortality rose 12 percent for men and 8 percent for women.

The data is included in research from THL. It suggests that altogether 558 people died of Covid-19 in 2020.

Every hundredth death in Finland that year was caused by Covid. Those deaths were mostly among older people, with the average age 84-years-old.

Developmental disabilities increased risk of death

Several international studies have shown that people with disabilities have an increased risk of death from Covid. That applies especially to people with developmental disabilities such as Down's syndrome.

"Disabled people's susceptibility to complications from a serious case of Covid could be down to higher incidence rates of other risk factors such as chronic illnesses, and greater risk of exposure to Covid because of community living arrangements," said THL Research ProfessorMika Gissler.

The research material does not allow conclusions to be drawn about the causes of death, or what the increase in mortality stemmed from. That should also be investigated based on the data covering the whole pandemic, from 2020 to 2023.

"Looking at the whole period could help us understand the impact of measures taken early in the pandemic from the perspective of disabled people. Recognising different groups' special needs, and meeting them, is necessary to ensure equality and fairness in society — even in emergency situations," said Leading expertPäivi Nurmi-Koikkalainen from THL.

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