More than a third of Herefordshire coronavirus deaths have been in care homes

Most county care homes had at least one ‘outbreak’ of Covid-19 and a disproportionate number of deaths have been among their residents, according to a report by the county’s acting director of public health Rebecca Howell-Jones.

The report says 36% of all coronavirus related deaths in the county have been among care home residents, all aged 69 or above.

Nine out of ten died in the care home, the others in hospital.

Of all care home residents who have died of Covid-19 to date, two-thirds did so in April and May.

While the winter has seen fewer deaths in care homes compared to hospitals so far.

By the middle of February 2021, Covid-19 had been mentioned on the death certificates of 308 Herefordshire residents, four out of five of whom were aged over 75.

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And the majority (60%) have occurred in hospital, followed by a third in care homes.

Around three-quarters of these deaths have been more than the number that would have been expected in an average year.

“We know that at least 3% of the population has tested positive over the year,” Ms Howell-Jones said.

“The true percentage would be much higher; we know that during the first wave people were not tested unless they were in hospital and seriously ill.”

Ms Howell-Jones said most deaths in the first wave happened in care homes while there has been a shift towards more hospital deaths in the most recent wave.

The report says that while data on cases are distorted by testing policies throughout the pandemic, 70% of people with Covid-19 in Herefordshire hospitals have been aged over 65.

The elderly are more likely to die with the effects of Covid-19 and over the course of the pandemic in Herefordshire 80% of people who have died have been aged 75 or older.

The report also says there have been notable drops in mortality from some conditions during the pandemic, particularly flu and pneumonia, although in many cases these conditions are mentioned as factors contributing to death where Covid-19 is also indicated as a cause.

The course of the pandemic in Herefordshire has been broadly like the national picture, according to the report.

However, officers say it has been about a week or so ‘behind the curve’ of rising trends, and with much lower-case rates and mortality in general.