CONCERN Over Inverclyde’s ‘Excess Deaths’ During PandemicINVERCLYDE officials have released more details about the district’s tragic coronavirus death toll, and have revealed that there has been a big increase in the number of deaths locally, many of which have not officially been linked to Covid-19.
So far the district has Scotland’s highest coronavirus death rate — around 12 per 10,000 of the population, approaching three times the Scottish level.
In second place is West Dunbartonshire with around eight deaths per 10,000 people, followed by Renfrewshire with 6.5, and Glasgow on about six.
Nearly 90 per cent of the area’s 93 deaths in the five weeks up to 26 April involved people aged 65-plus.
Two in every five (40 per cent) were 85 and over. Around one in three (35 per cent) of the victims were 75 to 84-years-old. Thirteen per cent were aged 65 to 74 and 11 per cent were in the 45 to 64 age bracket. Just one per cent was under 44 years old. The percentages are similar to the Scottish levels.
A report updating councillors states: “From the outset of Covid-19 crisis, officers had been recording deaths registered on a daily basis and quickly identified that Inverclyde was experiencing a significant increase in the number of death registrations and, appeared on the basis of the daily Scotland-wide statistics, to have a disproportionate number of Covid-related deaths.
“This was formally confirmed when the National Registers of Scotland (NRS) announced Covid death figures at a council level on the 22 April.
“A further worrying trend identified by officers and now confirmed in the NRS analysis has been the significant increase in general deaths where Covid is not identified as a contributory factor.
“Within Inverclyde it is estimated for the five weeks ending the 26 April, overall deaths were 135 per cent higher than the five-year average for the same period.”
In the five weeks up to 26 April 2020, there were 245 deaths registered in Inverclyde, compared with the five-year average of 104 — an increase of 141, or 135 per cent. Scotland as a whole had a 56 per cent rise in deaths over the same period.
Even after removing the 93 Covid-related fatalities, Inverclyde’s excess death figure for the five weeks is 48, still 46 per cent higher than normal (Scotland’s is 15 per cent higher).
The document continues: “Reports and analysis at a UK and Scotland level are identifying a number of factors which could potentially explain the higher number of Covid-19 related deaths and the general increase in deaths within Inverclyde.
“It is believed that health inequalities, social economic inequalities plus Inverclyde having an older population are all contributory factors.
“Officers are liaising with Public Health Scotland and the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board public health experts to get further insight.”
Officials conclude: “Based on the most recent death registration information and allied to what is being reported at a Scotland-wide level, it appears that Inverclyde may have passed the peak of Covid-19.
“However this situation could change depending on the impact of any lifting of current restrictions and the potentially cyclical nature of the pandemic.”
