Thursday, July 07, 2022

UK: Excess Deaths Are On The Rise, But Not Because of Covid

‘The reality is going to be quite complex’ Prof Paul Hunter, professor in medicine, at the University of East Anglia, said some of the excess could be people whose health was weakened by Covid. 
The infection is known to increase the risk of stroke and heart attacks. But he warned that there may be other more complex factors at play. 
“Some might also be down to other impacts of the pandemic, such as problems in accessing health care, delayed referrals for treatment and then things related to the restrictions we lived under, such as reduced activity and sedentary lives,” he said. 
“I think the reality is going to be quite complex but it’s something we do need to be aware of and actually try and understand. 
“We know there is a relationship between excess deaths and deprivation so maybe the current financial situation we are in is exacerbating that. 
“There is despair from your livelihood disappearing up the swanny. It doesn’t have to lead to suicide, chronic stress can lead to all sorts of problems.” 
Dr Charles Levinson, the chief executive of the private GP company DoctorCall, also called for a government inquiry into what was causing so many deaths at home.

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