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| Coronavirus: England death count review reduces UK toll by 5,000 | Coronavirus: England death count review reduces UK toll by 5,000 |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A review of how deaths from coronavirus are counted in England has reduced the UK death toll by more than 5,000, to 41,329, the government has announced. | A review of how deaths from coronavirus are counted in England has reduced the UK death toll by more than 5,000, to 41,329, the government has announced. |
| The recalculation is based on a new definition of who has died from Covid. | The recalculation is based on a new definition of who has died from Covid. |
| Previously, people in England who died at any point following a positive test, regardless of cause, were counted in the figures. | Previously, people in England who died at any point following a positive test, regardless of cause, were counted in the figures. |
| But there will now be a cut-off of 28 days, providing a more accurate picture of the epidemic. | But there will now be a cut-off of 28 days, providing a more accurate picture of the epidemic. |
| This brings England's measure in line with the other UK nations. | This brings England's measure in line with the other UK nations. |
| New counting method | New counting method |
| The new methodology for counting deaths means the total number of people in the UK who have died from Covid-19 comes down from 46,706 to 41,329 - a reduction of 12%. | |
| And figures for deaths in England for the most recent week of data - 18 to 24 July - will drop by 75%, from 442 to 111. | And figures for deaths in England for the most recent week of data - 18 to 24 July - will drop by 75%, from 442 to 111. |
| Prof John Newton, director of health improvement at Public Health England, said: "The way we count deaths in people with Covid-19 in England was originally chosen to avoid underestimating deaths caused by the virus in the early stages of the pandemic." | Prof John Newton, director of health improvement at Public Health England, said: "The way we count deaths in people with Covid-19 in England was originally chosen to avoid underestimating deaths caused by the virus in the early stages of the pandemic." |
| But he said the new methods of calculating deaths from the virus would give "crucial information about both recent trends and the overall mortality burden due to Covid-19". | But he said the new methods of calculating deaths from the virus would give "crucial information about both recent trends and the overall mortality burden due to Covid-19". |
| The health secretary in England, Matt Hancock, called for a review into the way deaths from coronavirus were calculated in July. | The health secretary in England, Matt Hancock, called for a review into the way deaths from coronavirus were calculated in July. |
| It followed concerns raised by Oxford scientists that this was being carried out differently across the four nations of the UK. | It followed concerns raised by Oxford scientists that this was being carried out differently across the four nations of the UK. |
| In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the count only included people who died within four weeks of a positive test. | In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the count only included people who died within four weeks of a positive test. |
| Someone who stayed in intensive care with Covid-19 for five weeks and died would not be counted as a coronavirus death, for example. | Someone who stayed in intensive care with Covid-19 for five weeks and died would not be counted as a coronavirus death, for example. |
| In England, there was no time limit. Someone who recovered from Covid-19 in March and died in a car crash in July would have been counted as a coronavirus death. | In England, there was no time limit. Someone who recovered from Covid-19 in March and died in a car crash in July would have been counted as a coronavirus death. |
| Now the UK's four chief medical officers have decided to use a single, consistent measure and publish the number of deaths that occurred within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test confirmed in a lab, every day. | Now the UK's four chief medical officers have decided to use a single, consistent measure and publish the number of deaths that occurred within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test confirmed in a lab, every day. |
| Every week for England, a new set of figures will be published showing the number of deaths that occur within 60 days of a positive test. | Every week for England, a new set of figures will be published showing the number of deaths that occur within 60 days of a positive test. |
| Deaths that occur after 60 days - such as those who have been in intensive care for many months - will also be added in if Covid-19 appears on the death certificate. | Deaths that occur after 60 days - such as those who have been in intensive care for many months - will also be added in if Covid-19 appears on the death certificate. |
| Sensible step | Sensible step |
| Prof Keith Neal, emeritus professor of the epidemiology of infectious diseases, from the University of Nottingham, said the two new measures were "sensible". | Prof Keith Neal, emeritus professor of the epidemiology of infectious diseases, from the University of Nottingham, said the two new measures were "sensible". |
| "The 28 days is widely used in many countries and England is now the same as the rest of the UK," he said. | "The 28 days is widely used in many countries and England is now the same as the rest of the UK," he said. |
| "The previous measure of always being a Covid death, even if recovered, was unscientific. | "The previous measure of always being a Covid death, even if recovered, was unscientific. |
| "As Covid deaths fall, the number of recovered patients, particularly the very old and those with severe underlying conditions, are now dying from these conditions and not Covid-19." | "As Covid deaths fall, the number of recovered patients, particularly the very old and those with severe underlying conditions, are now dying from these conditions and not Covid-19." |
| Prof Neal added: "These non-Covid deaths in survivors would become an ever increasing percentage of the England Covid deaths being reported. It had become essentially useless for epidemiological monitoring." | Prof Neal added: "These non-Covid deaths in survivors would become an ever increasing percentage of the England Covid deaths being reported. It had become essentially useless for epidemiological monitoring." |