Weekly update from NISRA shows 26 more Covid-linked deaths

By David Young, PA

Twenty-six deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland have been recorded in the latest weekly update.

The figure represents an increase on the 18 deaths that occurred in the previous week, according to data compiled by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

The latest deaths, which happened in the week ending January 7, take the total number of coronavirus-linked fatalities recorded by Nisra to 4,060.

Twenty-six deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland have been recorded in the latest NISRA weekly update.https://t.co/S1fqMm570k

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) January 14, 2022

The Nisra figure is drawn from different data sources and is always higher than the Department of Health’s total, as it provides a broader picture of the impact of Covid-19.

On January 7, the department had reported 3,006 deaths.

The department’s statistics focus primarily on hospital deaths and only include people who have tested positive for the virus.

Nisra obtains its data from death certificates on which Covid-19 is recorded as a factor by a medical professional, regardless of where the death took place or whether the patient tested positive.

The statistics agency reports its Covid data with a week lag.

The Nisra figure includes 2,836 deaths in hospital, 871 in care homes, 16 in hospices and 337 at residential addresses or other locations.

Nisra reported that up to January 7, the deaths of 1,144 care home residents were linked to Covid-19, 28% of all coronavirus-related deaths.

Covid-19 was also mentioned on the death certificate of 29 of the 368 deaths registered in the week to January 7.

Some of the deaths registered in the week ending January 7 could have taken place before that week, as deaths can take a number of days to register.

Those aged 75 and over account for 73.3% of the 4,042 Covid-related deaths registered between March 19 2020 and January 7 2022.