Iran Press/Europe: Snapshot data from varying official sources show that in Italy, Spain, France, Ireland and Belgium between 42% and 57% of deaths from the virus have been happening in homes, according to the report by academics based at the London School of Economics (LSE).
Published official data for care homes in England and Wales are believed to significantly underestimate deaths in the sector, Guardian reported.
Last week the Care England told the Guardian the total figure was probably approaching 1,000, with deaths reaching into double figures at numerous homes.
In its first review of early international evidence, researchers from the International Long Term Care Policy Network (LTCPN), found the most robust data was available in Ireland where, as of Saturday, 54% of deaths from coronavirus occurred in care homes, according to centralized government figures.
In Italy, a government survey covering deaths in 10% of the nations’ care homes suggested 45% of all deaths in that country could be in care homes, while central government data in France released at the weekend showed the same proportion of the 13,832 deaths in that country happened in care.
In Belgium, health ministry figures showed 42% of COVID-19 deaths happened in care homes and in Spain, leaked regional government data suggested 57% of the country’s death toll from 8 March to 8 April was from care homes.
There have been three epidemiological studies of COVID-19 in care homes carried out by authorities in Seattle, one of which found that by 18 March, of 101 care home residents who contracted the virus in the preceding weeks, 34 died.
EU has almost half of all coronavirus infections worldwide, and two-thirds of deaths become the epicenter of the COVID-19 disease.
Globally, more than 116,000 people have died from the new coronavirus and more near 1,900,000 people infected so far in 185 countries according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, said the LCTPN summary of evidence “clearly shows the lack of focus on the elderly in care homes, despite their conclusion that care home residents may account for around half of COVID deaths in five European countries. Our elderly populations deserve better than to be ignored and forgotten.”
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