According to new statistics, the coronavirus is no longer among the top five killers in England and Wales.
Following the outbreak of the global pandemic that first put the UK on lockdown in March 2020, COVID-19 was the main cause of death in both 2020 and 2021.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), five additional diseases surpassed the virus in 2022, with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease leading the list and accounting for close to 66,000 deaths, or 11% of all deaths, according to the ONS.
As a result of new versions, the expected number of weekly infections for Covid-19 rose to 4.4 million at the end of last March, setting new records for infection levels in 2022.
But this increase in infections did not result in an increase in deaths caused by the virus, most likely thanks to the success of the vaccination roll-out.
Sarah Caul, head of mortality analysis at the ONS, said the figures represent a ‘significant change’ in England and Wales’ leading causes of death.
In both 2020 and 2021 Covid-19 was the leading cause of death, with 73,766 deaths (12.1% of the total) and 67,350 (11.5%) respectively.
By 2022 coronavirus was recorded as the main cause of death for 22,454 people, or 3.9% of all deaths registered.
After dementia and Alzheimer’s disease the other leading causes of death in England and Wales last year were ischaemic heart diseases (59,356 deaths and 10.3% of the total); chronic lower respiratory diseases (29,815 deaths, 5.2%); cerebrovascular diseases such as strokes and aneurysms (29,274 deaths, 5.1%); and trachea, bronchus and lung cancer (28,571 deaths, 5.0%).
Vaccinations against Covid-19 were first rolled out to key workers and the clinically vulnerable in early 2021, with booster jabs introduced during the winter months.
The total number of deaths registered in England and Wales last year was lower than in 2021 and 2020 – but still 6.2% above the five-year average.
The ONS says 33,747 deaths in 2022 were considered to be ‘excess’ deaths, but they believe Covid-19 only played a minor role in last year’s figures.
Instead they believe seasonal viruses like flue, the impact of the summer heatwave, pressures on the NHS, and access to medical services, would have contributed to last year’s excess deaths.