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| - More than 45,000 people died of Covid-19 in Spain between March and May, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said Thursday, giving a figure that exceeds the official toll by 18,000. According to the INE, a total of 45,684 people died within that period, of which 32,652 were certified as having the virus, while another 13,032 died "of suspected (Covid), showing symptoms compatible with the illness". Figures released by the health ministry on June 1 put the total number of deaths from Covid-19 at 27,127 but the INE figure suggests an extra 18,557 people died between March and May. Adding the INE figures to the official number of deaths would push the number of people who have died of the virus in Spain's to more than 65,500. The INE figure reinforces the widespread suspicion that during the first wave of the pandemic, when hospitals and funeral homes were completely overwhelmed, many cases were not counted as part of the official coronavirus death toll. "What difference would it make to give a figure that is a bit higher or lower when we're talking about 28,000 victims? Does it change anything?" wondered Fernando Simon, the health ministry's head of emergencies in an interview with El Pais newspaper in early July, referring to the death toll. bur-CHZ-alv/hmw/mg/pma
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