New Oxford study shows UK COVID-19 deaths significantly misreported

A study published last week from the University of Oxford shows that COVID-19 deaths in the United Kingdom have been severely misreported by the UK government throughout the pandemic. 

The study, which has gone largely unreported by the mainstream media, used data obtained from 800 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests requested by 90 individuals, spanning 2020-2021. 

It found that the government did not have a consistent definition for COVID-19 deaths nor for COVID-19-related deaths. There were 14 different ways to describe a COVID death, which included “underlying COVID”, “involving COVID", “due to COVID”, and “died within either 28 or 60 days of a positive test". 

In other words, throughout the pandemic, there was no way to know if a death was from COVID-19. In fact, the study shows that there were people who tested negative for COVID but still were counted as COVID-19 deaths. 

Furthermore, there were at least 1,304 deaths in nursing homes for which the death certificates listed only “COVID-19”, without any chain of causality or any other contributing factor.  

The study cites other research which shows that 82% of death certificates “contained one or more errors". 

In Iceland, a study of 433 autopsies showed that 50% of the death certificates showed discrepancies, and 25% had listed the immediate cause of death incorrectly altogether. 

There were very few autopsies or post-mortem examinations done during the pandemic. 

Yet, death certificates are what the UK’s Office of National Statistics uses to count COVID-19 deaths, which it then presents to the public in its weekly reports.  

In addition, it was discovered that there were doctors diagnosing nursing home patients as COVID-19 positive over video calls. 

“The overall lack of consistency has confused the public and likely led to erroneous conclusions,” says the study. 

One of the study’s authors, Oxford Professor Carl Heneghan, noted that these inaccurate data were used by the government as an impetus to impose harsh restrictions. 

“Some of those counted as a COVID fatality may never have had the virus,” said Heneghan. “The accuracy of this data is vitally important because it led to lockdowns and restrictions which had huge socio-economic costs.” 

“If the death toll has been wrong all along, it will lead to a lack of trust among the public,” Heneghan continued. “And if we don’t fix these issues, there’s a chance there will be calls for further lockdowns and restrictions.” 

Then Heneghan called for more government accountability. 

“Very few people have thought, ‘Let’s just check the ­accuracy’.” the professor added. “People have become uncritical, but we have seen policies on the back of this panic. I would like to know why, two years in, the government isn’t doing more to fix this issue.”