Thousands of excess deaths from cardiovascular disease during the COVID-19 pandemic in England and Wales

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-09/uol-toe092820.php

News Release 28-Sep-2020
University of Leeds

A major new study has identified 2085 excess deaths in England and Wales due to heart disease and stroke during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. On average, that is 17 deaths each day over four months that probably could have been prevented.

Excess deaths are the number of deaths above what is normally expected - and the figure relates to the period from 2 March to 30 June, 2020. The scientists believe the excess deaths were caused by people not seeking emergency hospital treatment for a heart attack or other acute cardiovascular illness requiring urgent medical attention, either because they were afraid of contracting COVID-19 or were not referred for treatment.

Over the same period, there was a sharp rise in the proportion of people who died at home or in a care home from acute cardiovascular diseases. Chris Gale, Professor Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Leeds, said: "It is entirely plausible that a number of deaths could have been prevented if people had attended hospital quickly when they began to experience their heart attack or stroke. The sad irony is that previous research we have undertaken showed that nationwide heart attack services remained fully operational and continued to deliver high quality care during the peak of the pandemic." The findings, based on an analysis of the information contained on death certificates, have ben published in the journal Heart.

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