Over half of all excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic are care home residents, according to new LSE research. Adelina Comas-Herrera and Jose-Luis Fernandez of LSE’s Care Policy and Evaluation Centre found that there were nearly 20,000 excess deaths in care homes in England and Wales – those above the five-year average for the period from December 28 to May 1.
This figure is significantly higher than estimates from other sources based on death certificates, as it reflects indirect as well as direct impacts of COVID-19 on mortality. Also, about 15 per cent of deaths of care home residents take place in hospitals, raising the total estimate of the number of COVID-19 related deaths of care home residents to 22,000, a figure which is equivalent to 54% of all excess deaths in England and Wales.