New figures have provided an analysis of the Covid-19 deaths reported from the beginning of the pandemic until February 2022, examining the Underlying Cause of Death (UCOD) in 5,384 cases.
The analysis of death certificates from the Central Statistics Office CSO) shows that, in that period, “a total of 183 deaths (or 3.4%) reported COVID-19 as the single cause of death”.
However, the breakdown also showed that “5,201 [Covid-19] deaths (or almost 97%) were certified with at least one other accompanying medical condition”
The data, released as part of the Frontier Series Output, focused specifically on deaths due to COVID-19 occurring in Ireland between 01 March 2020 and 28 February 2022.
Gerard Doolan, Statistician in the CSO’s Vital Statistics Division, explained that “a death certificate may list multiple medical conditions, based upon which, the Underlying Cause of Death (UCOD) is identified.”
“Each death certificate can list multiple medical conditions, one of which was COVID-19. Consequently, a death record with one cause of death details COVID-19 as the single cause of death and reports no other condition,” he said.
“The data included in this analysis comprises of deaths between 01 March 2020 and 28 February 2022 where COVID-19 was the UCOD in a total of 5,384 deaths. This analysis focuses on the other conditions or diseases that accompanied these deaths. It is worth noting that as a single death certificate can contain multiple accompanying medical conditions, the figures of deaths by condition do not represent the actual number of deaths from COVID-19.”
“Also, a death due to COVID-19 differs from a death with COVID-19, in that COVID-19 is identified as the main UCOD in those who died due toCOVID-19, while it is one of a number of conditions listed in deaths certified as a death with COVID-19. The total number of COVID-19 deaths included in this analysis is 5,384 deaths.”
Looking at the data, we can see that a total of 183 deaths (or 3.4%) reported COVID-19 as the single cause of death, whereas, 5,201 (or almost 97%) COVID-19 deaths were certified as having had COVID-19 and at least one other medical condition on the death certificate,” he said.
The analysis found that the largest number of accompanying conditions in COVID-19 deaths were diseases of the respiratory system which were reported in 5,279 (or 98%) of COVID-19 deaths.
Some 3,023 of death certificates, 56% of the total, also mentioned pneumonia as a medical condition, with dementia being mentioned 1,041 times (or 19% of such deaths), while chronic lower respiratory diseases made up 948 (or 18%) of mentions on the death certificates.
On average, death certificates listed 4.2 medical conditions per person, the CSO said.
Four in five deaths from COVID-19 had at least three conditions mentioned on the death certificate. On average, death certificates listed 4.2 medical conditions per person.
Looking at the data by age, 91% of COVID-19 deaths occurred in persons aged 65 and over; 75% in persons aged 75 and over; and 42% in persons aged 85 and over
In December 2021 it was reported that 856 people – almost in one in 6 cases – had died after contracting Covid-19 in hospital.
Earlier this month, the CSO reported that almost 90% of Covid deaths took place in nursing homes or hospitals.
Peadar Tóibín TD has published a bill seeking an inquiry into Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes. On March 10th 2022, the Department of Health ordered that visiting restrictions be lifted from nursing homes in Ireland though other countries such as South Korea had already been reporting clusters of Covid-19 in care homes by February 24th. Writing at the time, Gript Editor, John McGuirk described the move as ‘madness’. “You don’t have to be an expert to know that that’s about the most stupid thing you’ve ever heard. Old and sick people matter. Ignore our idiot Government and stay away from them,” he wrote.
