Coronavirus UK: Oxford University vaccine trials start this week - Daily Mail

Coronavirus vaccine being developed at the University of Oxford will be trialled on people from THURSDAY, Health Secretary Matt Hancock says

• Mr Hancock said the a vaccine will be the best way to beat virus 'in the long run'
• Oxford scientists have genetically modified a common cold virus to make the jab
• They will test the vaccine on up to 510 people aged between 18 and 55
• Researchers hope to give people internal protection against COVID-19 
• Trials are recruiting volunteers in London, Bristol and Southampton 
• To find out about taking part, go to www.covid19vaccinetrial.co.uk/volunteer
• Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID

By Sam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter For Mailonline

Published: 17:24 BST, 21 April 2020 | Updated: 19:24 BST, 21 April 2020

A COVID-19 vaccine developed at the University of Oxford will be trialled on humans in the UK from Thursday this week.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock today said he was 'throwing everything at' Britain's attempt to develop the first vaccine in the world.

The Government will give the scientists an extra £20million to help with their trials, Mr Hancock said, and a further £22.5m to a project at Imperial College London.

The Oxford vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 will be trialled on up to 510 people out of a group of 1,112 aged 18 to 55. It is recruiting volunteers in London, Bristol, Oxford and Southampton. 

It is the first British-made vaccine to go into real-world trials and carries with it huge hopes that it will provide a key to getting out of lockdown and banishing COVID-19.

The virus has now infected more than 125,000 people and killed 17,339 in the UK and the UK is on course to end up one of the worst-hit nations in the world. 

Mr Hancock said developing vaccines is an 'uncertain science' which usually takes years but that manufacturing capacity will be ramped up in case the jab is a success and is suitable to roll out to the public.

The trial will take six months and is limited to a small number of people so scientists can assess whether it is safe and effective without using huge amounts of resources - each patient must return for between four and 11 visits after the jab - and without the risk of large numbers of people being affected if something goes wrong.  

Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced trials would begin this week at today's  daily Government briefing

The vaccine has been developed in just four of months since the coronavirus outbreak started and will now be distributed to around 500 trial participants

Speaking at today's coronavirus briefing at Downing Street, the Health Secretary said: 'In the long run the best way to defeat coronavirus is through a vaccine.

'After all, this is a new disease. This is uncertain science, but I am certain that we will throw everything we've got at developing a vaccine.

'The UK is at the forefront of a global effort. We've put more money than any other country into the global search for a vaccine and, for all the efforts around the world, two of the leading vaccine developments are taking place here at home at Oxford and Imperial [College London].

'Both of these promising projects are making rapid progress and I've told the scientists leading them that we'll do everything in our power to support.'

WHAT IS THE OXFORD VACCINE AND WHO CAN GET ONE? 

The vaccine is called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) from chimpanzees that has been genetically changed so it is impossible for it to grow in humans. 

Clinical teams at the Oxford University's Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group began developing the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in January.  

The team have gone through stages of vaccine development that usually take five years in just four months. 

They were a step ahead of other groups because they already had a base vaccine for similar coronaviruses. 

The intellectual rights to its vaccine are owned by the University of Oxford and a spin-out company called Vaccitech. 

The first part of the trial will involve 510 health volunteers aged between 18 and 55. 

Then the trial will move into older age groups, looking at the safety and immune response to the vaccine.

Half of all the trial volunteers will get the new coronavirus vaccine and the other half will get a vaccine licensed to protect against meningitis. Volunteers will not know what they are given.

Andrew Pollard, who is part of the Oxford team, said there may be hurdles when testing the vaccine on older people.

'For most vaccines the immune system in older adults, particularly those over 70, doesn't make such good responses,' he said.

'If we did see weaker responses in older adults we also have in our plan that we would look at giving additional doses in that age group to try and improve the immune response.' 

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 70 COVID-19 vaccines are in development worldwide but the UK now joins only the United States - two studies - and China in beginning human trials. 

He pledged a total of £44.5million to the projects in Oxford and London to enable scientists to go ahead with trials and getting the vaccine used in people.

The jab is based on an adenovirus, which is the type that causes common colds, which was taken from chimpanzees and damaged so it is unable make humans ill.

The virus was genetically engineered so that it makes 'spike' proteins found on the outside of the COVID-19 viruses and are essential to its ability to infect people.

By injecting these proteins into the body but without the rest of the coronavirus, scientists hope to train the immune system to recognise those proteins as a disease-carrying invader and work out how to attack it.

If successful, this will mean that a vaccinated person will not become ill if they catch the real coronavirus because their body has already learned to attack the proteins that will be on the outside of it. Therefore, the immune system will in theory be able to destroy it before it is able to cause any symptoms.

Mr Hancock said: 'The team have accelerated that trial process, working with the regulator, the MHRA, who have been absolutely brilliant.

'And as a result, I can announce that the vaccine from the Oxford project will be trialled in people from this Thursday. 

'In normal times, reaching this stage would take years and I'm very proud of the work taken so far.'

Professor Saul Faust, a director of clinical research at University Hospital Southampton, said: 'Vaccines are the most effective way of controlling outbreaks.'

Explaining how the vaccine that will be trialled at the hospital works, Professor Faust added: 'This vaccine aims to turn the virus' most potent weapon, its spikes, against it - raising antibodies that stick to them allowing the immune system to lock onto and destroy the virus.'

Professor Faust said that if the trials are successful the vaccine could be available for larger trials later this year and, later, for public use.

Around half of the people in the trial will be given the COVID-19 vaccine candidate and the others will receive a 'control'. For this, researchers will use the MenACWY vaccine, which is a vaccine already used by the NHS to protect against meningitis. 

Read more:

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2020-04-21 18:46:21Z
52780739339278

Coronavirus UK: Oxford University vaccine trials start this week - Daily Mail

Coronavirus vaccine being developed at the University of Oxford will be trialled on people from THURSDAY, Health Secretary Matt Hancock says

• Mr Hancock said the a vaccine will be the best way to beat virus 'in the long run'
• Oxford scientists have genetically modified a common cold virus to make the jab
• They will test the vaccine on up to 510 people aged between 18 and 55
• Researchers hope to give people internal protection against COVID-19 
• Trials are recruiting volunteers in London, Bristol and Southampton 
• To find out about taking part, go to www.covid19vaccinetrial.co.uk/volunteer
• Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID

By Sam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter For Mailonline

Published: 17:24 BST, 21 April 2020 | Updated: 18:40 BST, 21 April 2020

A COVID-19 vaccine developed at the University of Oxford will be trialled on humans in the UK from Thursday this week.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock today said he was 'throwing everything at' Britain's attempt to develop the first vaccine in the world.

The Government will give the scientists an extra £20million to help with their trials, Mr Hancock said, and a further £22.5m to a project at Imperial College London.

The Oxford vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 will be trialled on up to 510 people out of a group of 1,112 aged 18 to 55. It is recruiting volunteers in London, Bristol, Oxford and Southampton. 

It is the first British-made vaccine to go into real-world trials and carries with it huge hopes that it will provide a key to getting out of lockdown and banishing COVID-19.

The virus has now infected more than 125,000 people and killed 17,339 in the UK and the UK is on course to end up one of the worst-hit nations in the world. 

Mr Hancock said developing vaccines is an 'uncertain science' which usually takes years but that manufacturing capacity will be ramped up in case the jab is a success and is suitable to roll out to the public.

The trial will take six months and is limited to a small number of people so scientists can assess whether it is safe and effective without using huge amounts of resources - each patient must return for between four and 11 visits after the jab - and without the risk of large numbers of people being affected if something goes wrong.  

Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced trials would begin this week at today's  daily Government briefing

The vaccine has been developed in just four of months since the coronavirus outbreak started and will now be distributed to around 500 trial participants

Speaking at today's coronavirus briefing at Downing Street, the Health Secretary said: 'In the long run the best way to defeat coronavirus is through a vaccine.

'After all, this is a new disease. This is uncertain science, but I am certain that we will throw everything we've got at developing a vaccine.

'The UK is at the forefront of a global effort. We've put more money than any other country into the global search for a vaccine and, for all the efforts around the world, two of the leading vaccine developments are taking place here at home at Oxford and Imperial [College London].

'Both of these promising projects are making rapid progress and I've told the scientists leading them that we'll do everything in our power to support.'

WHAT IS THE OXFORD VACCINE AND WHO CAN GET ONE? 

The vaccine is called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) from chimpanzees that has been genetically changed so it is impossible for it to grow in humans. 

Clinical teams at the Oxford University's Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group began developing the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in January.  

The team have gone through stages of vaccine development that usually take five years in just four months. 

They were a step ahead of other groups because they already had a base vaccine for similar coronaviruses. 

The intellectual rights to its vaccine are owned by the University of Oxford and a spin-out company called Vaccitech. 

The first part of the trial will involve 510 health volunteers aged between 18 and 55. 

Then the trial will move into older age groups, looking at the safety and immune response to the vaccine.

Half of all the trial volunteers will get the new coronavirus vaccine and the other half will get a vaccine licensed to protect against meningitis. Volunteers will not know what they are given.

Andrew Pollard, who is part of the Oxford team, said there may be hurdles when testing the vaccine on older people.

'For most vaccines the immune system in older adults, particularly those over 70, doesn't make such good responses,' he said.

'If we did see weaker responses in older adults we also have in our plan that we would look at giving additional doses in that age group to try and improve the immune response.' 

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 70 COVID-19 vaccines are in development worldwide but the UK now joins only the United States - two studies - and China in beginning human trials. 

He pledged a total of £44.5million to the projects in Oxford and London to enable scientists to go ahead with trials and getting the vaccine used in people.

The jab is based on an adenovirus, which is the type that causes common colds, which was taken from chimpanzees and damaged so it is unable make humans ill.

The virus was genetically engineered so that it makes 'spike' proteins found on the outside of the COVID-19 viruses and are essential to its ability to infect people.

By injecting these proteins into the body but without the rest of the coronavirus, scientists hope to train the immune system to recognise those proteins as a disease-carrying invader and work out how to attack it.

If successful, this will mean that a vaccinated person will not become ill if they catch the real coronavirus because their body has already learned to attack the proteins that will be on the outside of it. Therefore, the immune system will in theory be able to destroy it before it is able to cause any symptoms.

Mr Hancock said: 'The team have accelerated that trial process, working with the regulator, the MHRA, who have been absolutely brilliant.

'And as a result, I can announce that the vaccine from the Oxford project will be trialled in people from this Thursday. 

'In normal times, reaching this stage would take years and I'm very proud of the work taken so far.'

Professor Saul Faust, a director of clinical research at University Hospital Southampton, said: 'Vaccines are the most effective way of controlling outbreaks.'

Explaining how the vaccine that will be trialled at the hospital works, Professor Faust added: 'This vaccine aims to turn the virus' most potent weapon, its spikes, against it - raising antibodies that stick to them allowing the immune system to lock onto and destroy the virus.'

Professor Faust said that if the trials are successful the vaccine could be available for larger trials later this year and, later, for public use.

Around half of the people in the trial will be given the COVID-19 vaccine candidate and the others will receive a 'control'. For this, researchers will use the MenACWY vaccine, which is a vaccine already used by the NHS to protect against meningitis. 

Read more:

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2020-04-21 18:09:31Z
52780739339278

Oxford University coronavirus vaccine trials will start this week - Daily Mail

Coronavirus vaccine being developed at the University of Oxford will be trialled on people from THURSDAY, Health Secretary Matt Hancock says

• Mr Hancock said the a vaccine will be the best way to beat virus 'in the long run'
• Oxford scientists have genetically modified a common cold virus to make the jab
• They will test the vaccine on up to 510 people aged between 18 and 55
• Researchers hope to give people internal protection against COVID-19
• Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID

By Sam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter For Mailonline

Published: 17:24 BST, 21 April 2020 | Updated: 18:09 BST, 21 April 2020

A COVID-19 vaccine developed at the University of Oxford will be trialled on humans in the UK from Thursday this week.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock today said he was 'throwing everything at' Britain's attempt to develop the first vaccine in the world.

The Government will give the scientists an extra £20million to help with their trials, Mr Hancock said, and a further £22.5m to a project at Imperial College London.

The Oxford vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 will be trialled on up to 510 people out of a group of 1,112 aged 18 to 55. It is recruiting volunteers in London, Bristol, Oxford and Southampton. 

It is the first British-made vaccine to go into real-world trials and carries with it huge hopes that it will provide a key to getting out of lockdown and banishing COVID-19.

The virus has now infected more than 125,000 people and killed 17,339 in the UK and the UK is on course to end up one of the worst-hit nations in the world. 

Mr Hancock said developing vaccines is an 'uncertain science' which usually takes years but that manufacturing capacity will be ramped up in case the jab is a success and is suitable to roll out to the public.

The trial will take six months and is limited to a small number of people so scientists can assess whether it is safe and effective without using huge amounts of resources - each patient must return for between four and 11 visits after the jab - and without the risk of large numbers of people being affected if something goes wrong.  

Speaking at today's coronavirus briefing at Downing Street, the Health Secretary said: 'In the long run the best way to defeat coronavirus is through a vaccine.

'After all, this is a new disease. This is uncertain science, but I am certain that we will throw everything we've got at developing a vaccine.

'The UK is at the forefront of a global effort. We've put more money than any other country into the global search for a vaccine and, for all the efforts around the world, two of the leading vaccine developments are taking place here at home at Oxford and Imperial [College London].

'Both of these promising projects are making rapid progress and I've told the scientists leading them that we'll do everything in our power to support.'

He pledged a total of £44.5million to the projects in Oxford and London to enable scientists to go ahead with trials and getting the vaccine used in people.

The jab is based on an adenovirus, which is the type that causes common colds, which was taken from chimpanzees and damaged so it is unable make humans ill.

The virus was genetically engineered so that it makes 'spike' proteins found on the outside of the COVID-19 viruses and are essential to its ability to infect people.

By injecting these proteins into the body but without the rest of the coronavirus, scientists hope to train the immune system to recognise those proteins as a disease-carrying invader and work out how to attack it.

If successful, this will mean that a vaccinated person will not become ill if they catch the real coronavirus because their body has already learned to attack the proteins that will be on the outside of it. Therefore, the immune system will in theory be able to destroy it before it is able to cause any symptoms.

Mr Hancock said: 'The team have accelerated that trial process, working with the regulator, the MHRA, who have been absolutely brilliant.

'And as a result, I can announce that the vaccine from the Oxford project will be trialled in people from this Thursday. 

'In normal times, reaching this stage would take years and I'm very proud of the work taken so far.'

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2020-04-21 17:10:39Z
CAIiEKAtF6TW3I9iv7uEVJUkQPgqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowzuOICzCZ4ocDMN-YowY

Coming up: Matt Hancock delivers Covid-19 update as care home fatalities rise five-fold in a week - The Telegraph

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1. Coming up: Matt Hancock delivers Covid-19 update as care home fatalities rise five-fold in a week  The Telegraph
2. Coronavirus UK: Matt Hancock 'lined up as government fall guy'  Daily Mail
3. Just HALF of coronavirus tests being used but ministers STILL say 100k will be reached  The Sun
4. Potential coronavirus vaccine to be trialed on people from Thursday but no easing of lockdown until second peak avoided  ITV News
5. Why No 10 can't blame Matt Hancock for its coronavirus testing failures  New Statesman
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-04-21 16:04:02Z
52780739339278

BREAKING: Coronavirus: UK COVID-19 deaths sharply rise by 823 to 17337 - Sky News

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1. BREAKING: Coronavirus: UK COVID-19 deaths sharply rise by 823 to 17337  Sky News
2. Coronavirus: Deaths at 20-year high but peak may be over  BBC News
3. Pandemic Sends England and Wales Death Toll to Record High  Bloomberg
4. Coronavirus deaths 41% higher than government's hospital-only figures - ONS  Sky News
5. UK coronavirus death toll may be 40% higher than reported as shock figures reveal fatalities outside  The Sun
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-04-21 15:30:15Z
52780740233185

Coronavirus map LIVE: UK death toll could be 40% HIGHER than latest figures, says ONS - Express

There have been 778 new deaths of people in hospitals in England who tested positive for coronavirus. A further 25 people have died in Wales and in Scotland there have been 70 new deaths.

Related articles

It comes as the Government is facing an uphill battle to meet its 100,000 tests a day target.

Meanwhile, pressure is mounting as NHS workers face desperate shortages of PPE.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is starting to return to work and will speak to US President Donald Trump later today and the Queen this week.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES:

The UK’s coronavirus death toll has jumped by 873 in one day in a worrying spike (Image: GETTY)

There have been 124,743 confirmed cases in the UK, with the death toll at 16,509 (Image: EXPRESS)

2.15pm update: England coronavirus death toll jumps by 778

NHS England has announced 778 new deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 15,607.

Related articles

1.50pm update: PM has full confidence in Health Secretary

The Prime Minister’s spokesman has said he has full confidence in Health Secretary Matt Hancock and that the Government is working hard to meet the 100,000 tests a day target.

The spokesman said: "We have said throughout that that is a Government target and we are working hard to hit it."

1.15pm update: Boris Johnson to speak to Trump and the Queen

Boris Johnson will speak to US President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon, Number 10 has said.

The Prime Minister will also have a telephone audience with the Queen later this week.

His spokesman said: "Mr Johnson is continuing his recovery at Chequers and isn't formally doing Government work.

"As we discussed yesterday, he has been receiving updates from Number 10 on the coronavirus response and has spoken with the First Secretary of State and senior members of his team.

"Yesterday he sent a message of condolence to Justin Trudeau after the very sad loss of life in the shooting in Canada.

"Later today, at around about 2pm, he will be speaking with President Trump."

12.40pm update: Iran’s death toll rises to 5,297

Iran’s coronavirus death toll reached 5,297 on Tuesday, a health ministry official said.

The total number of people confirmed to be infected increased to 84,802.

Boris Johnson will speak to US President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon (Image: GETTY)

12.15pm update: UK death toll could be 40% higher - ONS

Britain’s coronavirus death toll could be 40 percent higher than reported, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures.

The ONS figures show there were 13,121 deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales up to April 10, compared to 9,288 hospital deaths reported by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The ONS data includes all mentions of coronavirus on death certificates as well as deaths in the community.

The Department of Health and Social Care total only includes deaths in hospitals where a patient has been tested for Covid-19.

11.40am update: Spain death toll rises to 21,282

Spain’s coronavirus death toll has increased by 430 on Tuesday from 20,852 to 21,282.

The number of confirmed cases has risen from 200,210 to 204,178.

11am update: IRA bomb victim helping vulnerable in capital

A victim of the IRA docklands bombing is using a donated ambulance to help the vulnerable in London during the coronavirus crisis.

Jonathan Ganesh and other volunteers will use the vehicle to deliver essential supplies to those who are self-isolating, transport patients home after they have been discharged from hospital, and carry equipment between NHS services.

Mr Ganesh said: "The NHS saved my life due to the horrific injuries I sustained from a terrorist bomb in 1996.

"I have never forgotten the overwhelming medical care and support that I received from the NHS that undoubtedly saved my life."

Mr Ganesh is president of the Docklands Victims Association (DVA) and its members have registered with the NHS volunteering programme.

Jonathan Ganesh is using a donated ambulance to help the vulnerable in London (Image: PA)

10.20am update: Scotland’s schools expected to be shut until at least after summer break

Schools in Scotland are expected to remain closed until after the summer break, according to the country’s education secretary.

Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme, John Swinney MSP said: "What I can say is that for the foreseeable future schools will be closed.

"We have taken no decisions to reopen schools and, as we said back in March, we expect them to be closed until at least the summer break.

"We are seeing the progress that is being made on slowing up the coronavirus just now, but that's on the basis that only one in every 200 children are in schools today.

"The minute we say more people can be in that school, we are acknowledging that the risk of the spread of coronavirus rises and we can't afford to take that risk."

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon previously said she could not "promise" they would be able to reopen before that time.

9.45am update: Government ‘absolutely determined’ to hit 100,000 tests a day

Local Government Minister Simon Clarke said: "We are absolutely determined across the whole of the UK to hit this target.

"As I say, we are going to move from 26 current testing facilities to 50. That will in turn obviously bring those centres closer to more people and make it more viable to go there.

"We're increasing the groups of key workers who can go and be tested."

9.05am update: Turkey PPE delivery will arrive ‘in the next few days’

A delayed PPE delivery from Turkey, which was due to arrive on Sunday, will be in the UK "in the next few days", Local Government Minister Simon Clarke has said.

Asked whether it had left Turkey yet, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I can't speak to that, I'm afraid. All I know is it set off last night.

"It will be with us obviously in the UK in the next few days, which is the core priority."

Italy will start relaxing its coronavirus lockdown from May 4 (Image: GETTY)

8.20am update: 49 NHS staff have died in coronavirus battle

Forty-nine NHS workers have died in the coronavirus fight, minister of state for regional growth and local government Simon Clarke has said.

He told BBC Breakfast: "Their service and their sacrifice will never be forgotten and we will look into every one of those cases to understand what has happened, I can give that total assurance."

7.45am update: UK job vacancies plummet amid coronavirus crisis

Job vacancies in the UK plummeted in the three months to march, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures reveal.

The ONS said the number of job vacancies plunged by 52,000 to 795,000 for the quarter.

It comes as economist said that unemployment increased by 22,000 to 1.36 million in the three months to February.

7.30am update: Italy to start easing lockdown from May 4

Italy will start relaxing its coronavirus lockdown from May 4, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has said.

He said on Facebook: “I wish I could say: let's reopen everything. Immediately.

“We start tomorrow morning... But such a decision would be irresponsible. It would make the contagion curve go up in an uncontrolled way and would nullify all the efforts we have made so far.

"We must act on the basis of a national plan, which however takes into account the territorial peculiarities."

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2020-04-21 12:45:45Z
CAIiEDX5H_cKcdo0eonuj1VZMp4qGQgEKhAIACoHCAow9935CjCe0eYCMLXxzAU

Another 873 dead as UK's coronavirus death toll passes 17,000 - Metro.co.uk

An NHS worker goes through the testing procedure at the coronavirus testing centre in Salford (Picture: Getty)

Another 873 people have died in UK hospitals after contracting coronavirus, taking the death toll to at least 17,408.

Today’s jump in deaths is nearly double yesterday’s increase of 449, which was likely lower because death figures tend to drop on Monday due to delays in fatalities being registered over the weekend.

The toll was updated after England recorded another 778 deaths. Scotland reported 70 deaths, while 25 were recorded in Wales. Northern Ireland has not yet released its new death toll.

A total of 17,408 is calculated by combining the self-reported figures from England (15,607), Scotland (985), Wales (609), and Northern Ireland (207, as of yesterday).

The combined daily increase from the three nations comes to 873 (not including Northern Ireland), which could be different to the figure later released by the Department of Health (DoH) this afternoon.

The government has said this difference is because each devolved authority often makes amendments to their own data after reporting deaths to the DoH each day.

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For our Coronavirus live blog click here.

It is important to note that all of these deaths occurred in hospitals across the UK. They do not take into account the people dying at home, in care facilities, hospices, or other locations outside of hospitals.

The UK coronavirus death toll has reached at least 17,408. The total of 120,067 cases is accurate as of yesterday, and will be updated when the Department of Health releases today’s figures

NHS workers are being tested for coronavirus at the temporary centre in Salford (Picture: Getty)

The latest figures were released after it emerged the true UK coronavirus death toll could be 41% higher than official figures.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said 13,121 people in England and Wales had died by April 10 with mentions of Covid-19 on their death certificates, compared with 9,288 in the government’s daily toll.

If the UK’s figures are underestimating the death toll by a similar figure, then the true death toll for the country as a whole could be above 23,000 based on the latest data – making it the second worst hit in Europe after Italy.

Unlike the daily data published by the government that show only deaths in hospitals, today’s figures include deaths in the community, such as at nursing homes.

Covid-19 was mentioned in a third of all death certificates issued in England and Wales in the week to April 10. In London, more than half of the death certificates issued that week mentioned Covid-19.

Meanwhile, the number of deaths in care homes has doubled in just four weeks.

Graph shows all deaths in England and Wales, registered up to Apr 10 (Picture: ONS)

The new data showed nearly one in five (16.8%) of all deaths occurring in care homes involved Covid-19 in the week ending 10 April.

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A total of 1,043 people died in care homes in that week, while 87 died in hospices. The ONS said 466 died in private homes and a further 66 died in other locations.

There were 8,673 coronavirus deaths in hospitals in the same time period.

It is important to note that the ONS figures are based on mentions of Covid-19 on death certificates, whether or not the deceased had tested positive for coronavirus.

ONS statistician Nick Stripe told the BBC: ‘In care homes settings there are now double the number of deaths from all causes, all mortality causes, double the number in care homes than there were two weeks previously.

‘About 17% of those deaths mention COVID on the death certificate.’

The latest hospital deaths data published on Monday show 16,509 people had died across the United Kingdom.

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiYWh0dHBzOi8vbWV0cm8uY28udWsvMjAyMC8wNC8yMS9hbm90aGVyLTg3My1kZWFkLXVrcy1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1kZWF0aC10b2xsLXBhc3Nlcy0xNzAwMC0xMjU4ODI3OC_SAWVodHRwczovL21ldHJvLmNvLnVrLzIwMjAvMDQvMjEvYW5vdGhlci04NzMtZGVhZC11a3MtY29yb25hdmlydXMtZGVhdGgtdG9sbC1wYXNzZXMtMTcwMDAtMTI1ODgyNzgvYW1wLw?oc=5

2020-04-21 13:37:53Z
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