Thread by @fact_covid

Pre-existing conditions of people who died with COVID-19: A thread.

In July, @ONS published its final report on pre-existing conditions in deaths involving COVID-19. As far as I'm aware, this very useful and important information has not been published since.

Of the 50,335 deaths that occurred in March to June involving COVID-19 in England and Wales, 46,376 (92.8%) had COVID-19 assigned as the leading cause of death.

45,859 (91.1%) had at least one pre-existing condition, while 4,476 (8.9%) had none.

The mean number of pre-existing conditions for deaths involving COVID-19 between March and June was 2.1 for those aged 0 to 69 years and 2.3 for those aged 70 years and over.

The most common *main* pre-existing condition in England and Wales in deaths involving COVID-19 was Dementia and Alzheimer disease, with 12,869 deaths in March to June 2020 (25.6% of all deaths involving COVID-19).

Ischaemic heart diseases were the second most common main pre-existing conditions across all ages and sexes in England and Wales, with 5,002 deaths (9.9% of all deaths involving COVID-19).

Looking at *all* pre-existing conditions on the death certificate, not just the main pre-existing condition, Dementia and Alzheimer disease was again the most prevalent, with 13,840 deaths across both sexes and all ages in England and Wales between March and June.

This was followed by Symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions (which is mostly code for “old age” - 12,031 deaths), Influenza and Pneumonia (11,029 deaths), and Diabetes (9,820 deaths).

It’s such a shame the @ONS no longer publishes this detail, particularly as deaths involving COVID-19 are rising once more.

I would be very grateful if they would consider releasing this information again.

Source: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulati…