Covid Deaths In Over-80s Now At Highest Rate

But Fatalities Well Below Past Levels

People aged 80 and over are accounting for a greater proportion of deaths involving Covid-19 than at any point since the pandemic began, analysis shows.

However, the number of deaths in the current wave continues to be well below levels seen in previous waves.

Some 423 of the 599 deaths that occurred in England and Wales in the week ending March 11 which mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate were among the over-80s – the equivalent of 70.6%. This is the highest proportion in any week since infections began spreading across the country in March 2020.

At the peak of the first wave, 68.5% of deaths involving coronavirus were among people aged 80 and over, while the level reached 64.0% at the peak of the second wave.