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The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released data on the number of excess deaths registered in England and Wales between March 2020 and December 2021, including deaths due to COVID-19 and due to other causes.
Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, Chair, Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication, University of Cambridge, said:
“The pattern of non-covid deaths has varied hugely across the pandemic. In the first wave, the large excess in non-covid deaths was probably mainly under-diagnosed Covid in older people who were not tested. Then the huge deficit of 30,000 non-Covid deaths in the 20/21 winter can be attributed both to some deaths being brought forward to the first wave, and to the lack of flu – ONS report 30,000 fewer deaths from diseases of the respiratory system over the pandemic.
“Many of the 17000 excess non-Covid deaths in the second half of last year could be those whose deaths from respiratory diseases were prevented in the previous winter, and then succumbing to other causes in the following autumn.
“Deaths have been both brought forward by Covid, and also delayed by the measures against it.
“There has been no overall change in deaths from cancer, but this will require careful monitoring.
“There were 75000 excess non-covid deaths at home, almost precisely matching the 74000 fewer in hospital. So it suggests a change of place, rather than additional deaths. We can only hope that appropriate end-of-life care was available.”
All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink:
www.sciencemediacentre.org/tag/covid-19
Declared interests
Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter: “I am a Non-Executive Director of the UK Statistics Authority, which oversees the work of the Office for National Statistics.”