NISRA weekly update: Another 36 Covid-linked deaths recorded in NI

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

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

The total of deaths is the same as was recorded in the previous week, according to data compiled by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

The latest deaths, registered in the week ending January 21, take the total number of coronavirus-linked fatalities recorded by Nisra to 4,142.

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.

NISRA weekly update: Another 36 Covid-linked deaths recorded in NI.https://t.co/ALwD55hKRf

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On January 21, the department had reported 3,065 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 2,896 deaths in hospital, 881 in care homes, 16 in hospices and 349 at residential addresses or other locations.

Nisra reported that up to January 21, the deaths of 1,158 care home residents were linked to Covid-19, 28% of all coronavirus-related deaths.

Covid-19 was also mentioned on the death certificate of 43 of the 317 deaths registered in the week to January 21.

Some of the deaths registered in the week ending January 21 could have taken place before that week, as fatalities can take a number of days to register.

Those aged 75 and over account for 73.2% of the Covid-related deaths registered between March 19 2020 and January 21 2022.