The COVID-19 pandemic has left an indelible mark on societies worldwide, reshaping norms and challenging healthcare systems. Central to understanding its toll is the accurate assessment of mortality, yet official counts often fall short, failing to capture the full extent of the crisis. Excess mortality studies have hinted at a significant discrepancy, suggesting that many deaths attributed to natural causes may, in fact, be uncounted COVID-19 fatalities. However, until now, concrete data validating this assertion has been scarce.