Health analysis and life events, February 2022
Early in the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published analysis exploring non-COVID-19 excess deaths, deaths occurring each week above the five-year average, which were neither due to COVID-19 or involving COVID-19. These articles presented excess deaths by characteristics such as age, sex, and underlying conditions of the deceased, as well as place of death and combinations of these groups.
We began producing this analysis because non-COVID-19 deaths above the five-year average were observed in our weekly mortality statistics, and continued until the number of non-COVID-19 deaths declined to be more in line with the five-year average number of deaths. Our latest article on excess mortality in 2020, looking at deaths involving COVID-19 as well, was published on 7 May 2021.
Recent data show an increase in non-COVID-19 excess deaths in 2021, and in response to this the ONS will publish further analysis of excess deaths.
Following recent publication of analysis of COVID-19 deaths by vaccination status, we will be publishing further analysis of deaths following vaccination in young people, and excess deaths in young people, in collaboration with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities; this will be published on 22 March 2022. This has moved from the 4 March 2022 to ensure coherence with other relevant data on the topic.
We will be releasing an article on trends in excess deaths, similarly to previous articles, presenting excess deaths for specific groups by age, sex and cause; this will be published on 22 March 2022. This has moved from the 4 March 2022 to ensure coherence with other relevant data on the topic.
Additional information on excess deaths will be included as a standard output in our weekly death registrations bulletins, beginning in March 2022.
An article reporting international comparisons of mortality, including excess mortality, will be published on 7 April 2022.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the ONS collaborate to produce analysis for SAGE, estimating the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 on mortality and morbidity; these estimates will be updated to present impacts based on most recent data and published on gov.uk in March or April 2022, and the ONS will announce this release in a media statement on our website.