Coronavirus Kent in Five Graphs Week 20 (15/05/20)

NB: All deaths are by local authority and by cause of death, for deaths that occurred up to 15th May but were registered up to 23rd May in England and Wales. They are provisional figures and subject to possible change next week (02/06/20).

All data is for Kent local authorities including Medway only.

All Causes/places of death 

Covid-19 cases continue to fall. There appears to be an appreciably lower than seasonal death rate from other causes in the last three weeks. This might in part be explained by people with other serious conditions who in any other year might have died from those conditions in these weeks, but in this exceptional year they died earlier in the year from the virus.

Hospitals

Covid deaths in hospital continue to fall, but the week 20 deaths from other causes in hospitals remains lower than expected. This might be partly explained by the hypothesis suggested above.

Care homes

Covid-19 deaths in Kent care homes rose marginally in week 20 following a significant drop in week 19. This should not be seen as a relapse however since overall deaths in care homes continue to fall and seem to be approaching the pre-Covid average of below 100 deaths per week.

Deaths at home

Only one recorded death at home from the virus in week 20. Overall, deaths at home in Kent appear to have returned to pre-Covid levels.

Other communal establishments

In week 20 no deaths were recorded in other communal establishments. However, the three deaths recorded in last week’s dataset for week 19 have fallen to a single death. The data alone does not explain why this is.

All of the Shepwayvox Team extend their thanks and gratitude to all NHS staff, all carers in care homes and hospices, to all community volunteers, Kent Fire Brigade, Kent Police and Paramedics for their and anyone else we may have forgotten. The thanks you are all owed is immeasurable.

The numbers above are not just numbers, they represent a real person who has passed away because of covid-19, or for other health reasons. Each of them have family, loved ones and friends. To each of you, wherever you are in Kent or Medway, we extend our deepest condolences to you, as we understand many of you will not have been able to be with them at the end.

The one comfort we can all take from the persons passing is that each of them received the most powerful drug in the world – kindness. It work’s for everyone, it’s hard to get the dose wrong, and it’s free at the point of delivery. Thanks to all those who have delivered that throughout this crisis.

The Shepwayvox Team

Stay Alert – Protect The NHS – Save Lives