Care Home Covid-19 Death Rate Reaches Three-Month High

The death rate for residents diagnosed with Covid-19 in care homes in England and Wales has reached a three-month high.

New figures released by the ONS this week reveal there were 63 COVD-19 related deaths in care homes in England and Wales in the week ending 9 October, the highest level since mid-July.

There were 17 more care home deaths involving COVID-19 in the week, representing the fifth consecutive weekly increase.

On a year-to-date basis, there were 15,712 deaths in care homes involving COVID-19 up to 9 October.

Deaths involving COVID-19 in care homes as a proportion of all deaths in care homes increased from 2.3% in the previous week to 3.1%.

There was a total of 28,402 deaths in care homes registered between 14 March and 11 September, up 5,340 on the average over the corresponding period between 2015 and 2019.

In England, between Week 12 (week ending 20 March 2020) and Week 37 (week ending 11 September 2020), 39.6% of all deaths occurred in hospitals, followed by private homes (27.7%) and care homes (25.9%).

In Wales, between Week 12 (week ending 20 March 2020) and Week 37 (week ending 11 September 2020), 44.9% of all deaths occurred in hospitals, followed by private homes (30.8%) and care homes (20.1%).

Care Inspectorate Wales recorded 753 deaths of residents in care homes between 1 March and 9 October.

The ONS said deaths in care homes have mostly remained below the five-year average since Week 25 (week ending 19 June) with some increases in recent weeks.

Head of mortality analysis Sarah Caul at ONS said. “While deaths in hospitals and care homes have dropped below the five-year average since the initial peak of the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve consistently seen deaths in private homes remain well above the five-year average,”

“We have seen an overall increase of deaths as well as a redistribution of various causes of death. Unlike the high numbers of deaths involving Covid-19 in hospitals and care homes, the majority of deaths in private homes are unrelated to Covid-19,” she added.