Deaths registered in England and Wales were a massive 20.7% above the five-year average in the week ending December 23rd, according to the latest data from the ONS. There were a total of 14,530 deaths that week, which is 2,493 above the five-year average. Of these, 429 involved COVID-19 as a contributory cause and 308 were due to Covid as underlying cause, leaving 2,185 excess non-Covid deaths. Of the total, 829 deaths were recorded as due to ‘influenza and pneumonia’ as underlying cause. The total number of excess non-Covid deaths since the surge began in April is now just shy of 30,000 at 29,880.
The chart below plots the deaths by date of occurrence. I have also plotted the vaccine boosters, though clearly the latest surge in excess deaths (unlike those in the spring and autumn) has no correlation with new booster doses.
