Death Rates in France
Tony Cross, formerly of Radio France International (the French equivalent to the BBC World Service), reports from France in www.theravingreporter.com that the number of deaths per day (from all causes, and not just deaths in hospital) has declined from a high point of 600 a day at the beginning of April, to a lower rate than in the previous two years (see the yellow line, compared to the red and blue lines). This is probably due not only to the decline in Covid-19 deaths as a result of the lockdown, but also to the lower rate of road traffic accidents and lower air pollution from road and air traffic. The statistics come from INSEE, the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies.
Deaths from Covid 19 in the Care Sector
Meanwhile, in the UK, Ann Bannister, Secretary of Reclaim Social Care, has just posted death figures from the Office of National Statistics covering Care Homes and Domiciliary Care.
From March 2nd to May 1st this year, there were 45,899 deaths of care home residents, 27.3% involving Covid-19. 72.2% of Covid-19 deaths of care home residents were in a care home when they died, and the rest had been transferred to hospital. This means that over 9,000 deaths were not included in the totals reported in the press, of all the deaths from the virus, because the press was reporting only hospital deaths.
Covid-19 was the main cause of death of men in care homes who died during the same period, while Alzheimer’s and other forms of Dementia were the main cause of death in women living in care homes, with Covid-19 in second place. However, Dementia and Alzheimer’s were also the main pre-existing condition in deaths caused by Covid-19 in both sexes.
The statistics for recipients of Domiciliary Care 10 April – 8 May 2020 show that 3,161 clients of care in their own homes died of Covid-19, which were 1990 more than the average over three years.
Unison North West are planning a Social Care campaign video conference on 26 May. To register email nwepoc@unison.co.uk