Thread by @BBCNews

News of more and more deaths is worrying for people across the UK, it's also tragic for the families of those involved

But what do the figures really tell us?

[Thread] 👇

bbc.in/CoronavirusDea…

Deaths being reported daily are hospital cases where a person dies with the coronavirus infection in their body

But is the virus causing the death?

It could be the major cause, a contributory factor or simply present when they die of something else

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Most people who die with coronavirus have underlying health conditions which can be more of a factor

There are, however, other cases, including health workers and a 13-year-old boy from London, who died with no known underlying conditions

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500,000 people could have died, by August, in the UK if no action was taken

Now it's hoped social distancing will limit deaths to 20,000

But that doesn't mean 480,000 lives are being saved, many people who die from Covid-19 would have died anyway

bbc.in/CoronavirusDea…

In the UK, nearly 10% of people aged 80 or over will die in the next year

The risk of them dying if infected with coronavirus is almost exactly the same

That does not mean there will be no extra deaths - but there will be "a substantial overlap"

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The UK government strategy is currently in the "delay phase" - the aim is to slow the spread of the virus

So how effective is the lockdown? And what impact could it have on people’s health, and the number of people who die?

bbc.in/CoronavirusDea…

However, it is important to remember for most, coronavirus will not lead to death and can be a mild infection

It may not even present symptoms in some people

bbc.in/CoronavirusSym…

Follow the latest coronavirus developments, across the BBC: bbc.in/CoronavirusNews