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| Coronavirus: Nearly 10,000 deaths in care homes | Coronavirus: Nearly 10,000 deaths in care homes |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Nearly 10,000 people have died from coronavirus in care homes in England and Wales, figures suggest. | Nearly 10,000 people have died from coronavirus in care homes in England and Wales, figures suggest. |
| But for the second week running the Office for National Statistics review of death certificates showed the number of new deaths being seen has fallen. | But for the second week running the Office for National Statistics review of death certificates showed the number of new deaths being seen has fallen. |
| In the week ending 8 May there were 1,666 deaths linked to coronavirus in care homes - down from just over 2,400 the week before. | In the week ending 8 May there were 1,666 deaths linked to coronavirus in care homes - down from just over 2,400 the week before. |
| Meanwhile, the overall number of deaths across society has fallen too. | Meanwhile, the overall number of deaths across society has fallen too. |
| There were 12,600 deaths during the week - nearly a third of which were linked to coronavirus. | There were 12,600 deaths during the week - nearly a third of which were linked to coronavirus. |
| This is down from a weekly peak of 22,000 at the height of the pandemic - although it is still above what would be expected at this time of the year. | |
| Total deaths is seen as the best measure of the impact of the lockdown as it takes into account both deaths linked to coronavirus and other deaths that could be a result of the lockdown. | Total deaths is seen as the best measure of the impact of the lockdown as it takes into account both deaths linked to coronavirus and other deaths that could be a result of the lockdown. |
| The daily figures released by the government just looks at deaths among people with a confirmed diagnosis of coronavirus. | The daily figures released by the government just looks at deaths among people with a confirmed diagnosis of coronavirus. |
| It means the total number of deaths seen this year is nearly 260,000 - 44,700 above what would be expected. | |
| Could the true toll in care home be even higher? | |
| The government has been receiving heavy criticism for the impact of coronavirus in care homes. | |
| Alongside the coronavirus deaths, there are significant numbers of unexplained fatalities. | |
| Once you factor in Scotland, you would normally expect to see around 2,800 deaths a week. | |
| But at the peak of the pandemic in care homes in the second half of April there were around three times as many deaths. | |
| Only around half the increase was attributed to coronavirus. | |
| The other deaths could be related to the indirect costs of the pandemic, such as not getting care for other conditions like heart disease and strokes. | |
| Another factor could be that the true number of coronavirus deaths have been under-reported as the lack of testing available to care homes may have meant doctors were not able to identify the presence of the virus. |