Background This study aimed to investigate overall and sex-specific excess all-cause mortality since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic until August 2020 among 22 countries. Methods Countries reported weekly or monthly all-cause mortality from January 2015 until the end of June or August 2020. Weekly or monthly COVID-19 deaths were reported for 2020. Excess mortality for 2020 was calculated by comparing weekly or monthly 2020 mortality (observed deaths) against a baseline mortality obtained from 2015–2019 data for the same week or month using two methods: (i) difference in observed mortality rates between 2020 and the 2015–2019 average and (ii) difference between observed and expected 2020 deaths. Results Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the UK (England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland) and the USA demonstrated excess all-cause mortality, whereas Australia, Denmark and Georgia experienced a decrease in all-cause mortality. Israel, Ukraine and Ireland demonstrated sex-specific changes in all-cause mortality. Conclusions All-cause mortality up to August 2020 was higher than in previous years in some, but not all, participating countries. Geographical location and seasonality of each country, as well as the prompt application of high-stringency control measures, may explain the observed variability in mortality changes.

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BackgroundSleep apnoea (SA) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) have been linked to malignancy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between SA and incidence of malignancy in patients with T2D.MethodsThe DIACORE (DIAbetes COhoRtE) study is a prospective, population-based cohort study in T2D patients. In the SDB (sleep-disordered breathing) sub-study, the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI), oxygen desaturation index (ODI) and percentage of night-time spent below a peripheral oxygen saturation of 90% (TSat90%) were assessed using a two-channel ambulatory monitoring device. Malignancy diagnoses were gathered using self-reported medical history data validated by medical records. Hazard ratios (HR) for incident malignancy were derived by Cox regression adjusting for sex, age, body-mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, socioeconomic status and HbA1c.ResultsOf 1239 patients with T2D (mean age 67 years, 41% female, mean body-mass index 30.9 kg m−2), 79 (6.4%) were first-time diagnosed with a malignancy within a median follow-up period of 2.7 (interquartile range 2.2; 4.5) years. AHI, ODI and TSat90% were not associated with incident malignancy. In subgroup analysis, women showed increased cancer risk per AHI unit (adjusted HR 1.03 per AHI unit, 95% CI [1.00–1.06], p=0.028) and severe SA (defined as AHI≥30 h−1; adjusted HR 4.19, 95% CI [1.39–12.77], p=0.012). This was not seen in men, and a significant interaction was observed (interaction terms, p=0.048, p=0.033, respectively).ConclusionSA was not associated with incident malignancy in T2D patients. However, stratified analysis revealed a significant association between SA and incident malignancy in women, but not in men.

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