Article 593HF UK coronavirus live: 19,724 new cases recorded, a daily rise of nearly 2,500

UK coronavirus live: 19,724 new cases recorded, a daily rise of nearly 2,500

by
Andrew Sparrow
from on (#593HF)

UK records 137 Covid deaths with more than 4,000 patients in hospital; people from high-Covid areas of England to be banned from going to Wales; Northern Ireland tightens restrictions

5.27pm BST

An international study led by academics from Imperial College London has concluded that, out of 21 industrialised countries, England, Wales and Scotland had among the highest rates of excess deaths between February and May, during the first wave of the pandemic.

The study looked at excess deaths from all causes, not just deaths attributed to coronavirus. This measure is seen by experts as the best way of assessing the overall impact of a pandemic because it includes caused by the virus, but not attributed to it, and deaths caused by it indirectly.

The research team were able to use their findings to group the countries in the study into four categories, depending on each country's overall death toll during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first group were those that avoided a detectable rise in deaths, and included Bulgaria, New Zealand, Slovakia, Australia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Norway, Denmark and Finland.

The second and third groups of countries experienced a low to medium impact of the pandemic. The low impact group included Austria, Switzerland and Portugal, while the medium impact group included France, the Netherlands and Sweden. The fourth group, which experienced the highest number of deaths from any disease during the study period, consisted of Belgium, Italy, Scotland, Spain and England and Wales.

England and Wales and Spain experienced the largest impact: around 100 excess deaths per 100,000 people, equivalent to a 37% relative increase in deaths in England and Wales, and 38% relative increase in deaths in Spain.

This data suggests a number of lessons, say the team, some of which may help avoid future waves of the pandemic from becoming as fatal as the first. For example, compared to countries such as New Zealand and Denmark, the UK, Spain, Italy and France introduced a lockdown after the pandemic was further along in the community.

5.12pm BST

The latest coronavirus death figures for England were in a post at 2.07pm.

Scotland has recorded 1,429 cases and 15 further deaths. The details are here. The new case numbers are up 10% on yesterday's total (1,297).

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