Coronavirus: England death count review reduces UK toll by 5,000

Posted: August 16th 2020

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What’s in a number? – well really quite a lot when it is part of something as serious as a discussion about a science led approach to responding to a pandemic. This article tells us:

A review of how deaths from coronavirus are counted in England has reduced the UK death toll by more than 5,000, to 41,329, the government has announced.

The recalculation is based on a new definition of who has died from Covid.

Previously, people in England who died at any point following a positive test, regardless of cause, were counted in the figures.

But there will now be a cut-off of 28 days, providing a more accurate picture of the epidemic.

This brings England's measure in line with the other UK nations.