Second Of Three Posts -- The Outlier Among European Countries -- Covid -- March 6, 2023

Previously: if you are playing this game, this is the second of three posts -- in the following chart, there is one outlier and only one outlier and it's not Sweden:

The one outlier is The Netherlands.

The last note, the third of three notes will explain the reason why The Netherlands has an excess mortality in the same range -- 11% to 12% as Greece, Spain, Estonia, etc., when The Netherlands should be grouped with Norway / Sweden (4 - 5%) or typical western European countries (Belgium, Germany, France) at 8% to 9%.

The Netherlands has/have nothing in common with Greece, Spain, Estonia and yet that's where The Netherlands ended up. The Netherlands should have ended up with a much lower excess mortality had they been similar to the other Nordic / Northern European countries.

Now, for the third and last post, to be posted tomorrow, why was The Netherlands, at almost 12%, almost 3x that of Sweden?

The game is afoot.

Hint: England is not on the list, although Ireland is. And Ireland, at 8.0% is about twice that of Sweden.

Original Post

Start here, see this post, to play this game.

This note is the first of three parts to the denouement.

This (below) is what jumped out at me when I saw the original chart (at the link above). 

The grouping: similar nations with similar percent of "excess deaths," similar outcomes.

So, now, after looking at the groupings, look for the one outlier. There is one outlier and it's not Sweden.

By the way, I got a great note from a reader from Scandinavia.

My reply to the note above:

Thank you.

That is incredibly helpful --- the note about seniors in Sweden getting their vaccinations, and, the difference between the Protestant and Catholic countries.

I think you will enjoy seeing what I think is the outlier and why that country was an outlier. Your note helped immensely. Thank you.

Another reader also suggested Iceland, but Iceland is not the outlier. When the outlier is pointed out, it will jump right out at you. You will not be able to "un-see" it.