Covid: How the UK reached 50,000 virus deaths

The UK has now seen more than 50,000 deaths related to Covid-19, according to official government figures.

It is a tragic milestone, illustrating the impact the pandemic has had on the country. But alone it doesn’t tell the full story. Behind the figure is a complex image.

Most of the deaths occurred in the spring when the virus took the UK by surprise.

Deaths increased rapidly in those first few weeks of the pandemic, doubling every four days at some point before peaking at 1,000 deaths a day in April.

Then it fell as the blockade and other measures had an impact. At certain times during the summer, daily deaths were in individual fingers before the virus returned.

Throughout the fall, the number of deaths has increased, albeit much more slowly than in the spring, with deaths currently doubling about every two weeks.

With signs that infection rates are slowing and the prospect of a vaccine on the horizon, there is hope that the increase in the number will slow, perhaps eventually almost stopping.

The government death toll only takes into account those who died within 28 days of a positive test. But if you look at the death records, it is clear that more people have died during the pandemic than would be expected.

As of the end of October, there have been nearly 70,000 excess deaths.

Some of these were found to be Covid-related by the doctors who filled out the death certificates: the absence of tests in the early days meant that a number of Covid deaths were not recorded as such.

But some were what are known as indirect deaths. This includes deaths from other conditions such as heart disease because people didn’t get the treatment they needed.

The average age of people who have died with Covid is over 80 with more than nine out of 10 deaths among the over 65s, according to the pandemic analysis by the Office for National Statistics.

Deaths among those under 45 were low: only a few hundred were seen, including six children under the age of 14.

There are notable differences when looking at deaths by area.

There are a number of factors that have contributed to this, from infection levels to the age and health of the population.

People from disadvantaged backgrounds and ethnic minority groups have died in greater numbers.

Whether you look at excess deaths or coronavirus deaths per capita of the population, the UK has seen one of the worst death tolls in the world.

The blame has sometimes been placed on the government.

From the delay of the lockdown, to the lack of testing in the early days and the continuing difficulties in tracking contacts, several factors have been advanced as to why the UK has seen so many deaths.

But the UK isn’t the only country that has struggled. The ministers of Spain, France and Italy have also come under heavy criticism.

But putting the government record aside, the size and age of the UK population also made us sensitive.

In fact, if you adjust the death rate to take into account age and population size, the number of deaths seen in 2020 was high.

But it’s not completely out of proportion with the mortality rate in the early 21st century.

Since then the population has gotten bigger and bigger.

A virus that poses such a significant risk to frail and vulnerable people and thrives in close contact has sadly put a strain on a densely populated and aging island.