Covid was England’s biggest killer in 2020 and accounted for one in eight deaths, official data reveals as interactive map shows how many virus victims there have been in YOUR area
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Coronavirus was the leading cause of death in England last year and accounted for one in eight fatalities, official data has confirmed.
An Office for National Statistics report published today found Covid-19 was responsible for 69,101 out of 569,770 total deaths in 2020 (12.1 per cent).
The figure is slightly lower than the 75,782 on the Government’s dashboard because it only includes cases where Covid was the direct cause of death. The official tally looks at all fatalities with the virus mentioned on the death certificate.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s were the second biggest killers in England in 2020, claiming 66,060 lives, while heart disease was behind 51,979 deaths.
The ONS report also found that in December, deaths from all causes were 25 per cent higher than the five-year average. Covid-19 was by far the biggest killer last month, claiming 10,973 lives.
For comparison, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease were behind 5,281 deaths, while 4,365 people died from heart problems. Flu and pneumonia were responsible for just 901 deaths last month, four times lower than average, which is thought to be the knock-on effect of social distancing measures.
Meanwhile, an interactive map developed by the ONS shows how those in the poorest parts of the country have been two-and-a-half times more likely to fall victim to Covid-19 than those in the wealthiest areas.
Scientists say people in deprived neighbourhoods are at an increased risk because they often have poorer general health, are more likely to live in overcrowded and multi-generational households and rely on public transport.
