FOI Ref: FOI/2021/3108
You asked
Please supply the following information:
The exact numbers of deaths that have been recorded on your statistics of dying directly from COVID-19 between March 2020 through to September 2021.
The exact numbers of deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive test for COVID-19 but not attributed to COVID-19 within the same time period.
We said
Thank you for your enquiry requesting deaths registered due to COVID-19 in England and Wales from 2020 to Sept 2021.
COVID-19 deaths by underlying cause
When we say that a death 'involved' COVID-19, we mean that COVID-19 was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, possibly along with other health conditions, not necessarily as the underlying cause of death. When we say that a death was 'due to' COVID-19, we mean that COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, because it was either the only health condition mentioned on the death certificate, or it was the one that started the train of events leading to death.
2020 data
Our analysis Single year of age and average age of death of people whose death was due to or involved COVID-19 will provide deaths due to and involving COVID-19 for 2020.
In 2020, there were 73,766 deaths registered due to COVID-19
This publication also provides a monthly count of deaths due to COVID-19 in 2021; latest available data is September 2021. October data is due to be published on 23 November 2021.
2021 data
Our Deaths Registered Weekly in England and Wales analysis will provide data up to 23 October 2021 and is updated every Tuesday. Using deaths registered weekly there have been 59,714 deaths registered due to COVID-19 in England and Wales.
COVID-19 Deaths within 28 days of a positive test
Our data as described here are different from the figures on COVID-19 deaths published on the government's COVID-19 dashboard which shows 'deaths within 28 days of a positive test'. You can read a blog by Professor John Newton of Public Health England about the complexities of counting COVID-19 deaths and the different methods used.
Our mortality data is derived from information collected at the point of death registration. The doctor or coroner certifying a death can record more than one health condition or event on the form. The medical certificate of cause of death has two parts, Part 1 contains the sequence of health conditions or events leading directly to death, while Part 2 can contain other health conditions that contributed to the death but were not part of the direct sequence.
For statistical purposes one of the health conditions on the certificate is chosen as the 'underlying cause of death'. The underlying cause of death is defined as the health condition or event that started the train of events leading to death and is worked out according to rules from the World Health Organisation (WHO). You can read in detail about the coding of causes of death and identifying the underlying cause in the ONS User guide to mortality statistics and the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) instruction manual. COVID-19 is only mentioned on the death certificate if the doctor or coroner believes it was part of the reason the person died.
Therefore, we do not hold data where a positive COVID-19 test has been obtained, but they died of other causes. We only hold data where COVID-19 was recorded on the death certificate as either the underlying cause of death or a contributory mention.
For further information, please contact Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.