Average death rate dip in UK a blip caused by Covid
The number of deaths in Britain for the rest of the year is expected to fall below the five-year average because of COVID-19.
The number of deaths recorded in Britain for the rest of this year is expected to fall below the five-year average because COVID-19 has already claimed many vulnerable aged people.
The Office for National Statistics said late on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) that the virus had “brought forward’’ the deaths of those hit hardest by the pandemic.
More than 44,000 people have died in Britain of COVID-19, mainly those aged above 80 with existing health conditions.
Total “excess’’ deaths in the country over the past few months have tallied up to more than 65,000.
That extra 21,000 are attributed to people dying in the home from strokes and heart attacks as they were too frightened to go to hospital, as well as the elderly in nursing homes “giving up’’ amid depressing lockdown conditions.
Statisticians said many of the coronavirus and excess deaths would have been expected to occur in any case later in the year.
“The disease has had a larger impact on those most vulnerable — for example, those who already suffer from a medical condition — and those at older ages,” the ONS researchers said.
“Some of these deaths would have likely occurred over the duration of the year, but have occurred earlier because of the coronavirus. These deaths occurring earlier than expected could mean we start to see a period of deaths below the five-year average.”
On average, about 10,000 people die each week in Britain in normal times. The ONS figures show there were 8979 deaths from all causes in England and Wales in the week ending June 26 — 314 fewer than the five-year average.
This is the second week in a row that weekly deaths have been below the average for this time of year.
On Tuesday, there were 155 deaths attributed to coronavirus and 581 new cases reported in Britain.
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