Latest figures showed the number of deaths in care homes in England and Wales almost doubled in the 4 weeks up to 10th April (Week 15) since the first COVID-19 deaths were registered.
The data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a steep increase in the number of deaths overall in Week 15.
There were 18,516 deaths in Week 15, up from 16,387 in Week 14. That was 7996 more deaths than the 5 year average the ONS reported.
Statisticians said it was the highest weekly total since the first week of 2000.
Of the deaths registered in Week 15, 6213 mentioned COVID-19, which is 33.6% of all deaths. That compared with 21.2% of all deaths the previous week.
Deaths From Other Causes
However, mortality from causes other than COVID-19 also increased, which experts said suggested the lockdown could be having an indirect effect on people's health.
Martin Hibberd, professor of emerging infectious disease at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "With limited testing being carried out, it may be that all of the 7996 excess deaths were directly due to COVID-19, but it is also likely that at least some of these were indirectly involved, such as through inability to access typical medical care for other conditions because of COVID-19 activities."
The ONS said that between Weeks 11 and 15, the number of deaths in care homes has increased by 99.4% from 2471 deaths to 4927.
There was also a 72.4% increase (4975 deaths to 8578) in deaths occurring in hospitals, and a 51.1% increase in deaths occurring in private homes (2725 deaths to 4117).
Care home deaths made up 22.4% of all deaths in Week 11, rising to 26.6% of all deaths in Week 15.
In Week 15, 16.8% of all deaths occurring in care homes involved COVID-19.
Figures released last week by the National Records of Scotland showed that 25% of COVID-19 deaths registered to date related to deaths in care homes.
'The Peak May Have Passed'
Experts have suggested that despite the latest surge in reported deaths, the peak could be over.
In a briefing today for the Science Media Centre, Dr Carl Heneghan, professor of evidence-based medicine at the University of Oxford said: "From an epidemiological perspective, we can say that the numbers are consistent with the peak happening on the 8th April." He said that having tracked the data over the next 13 days, "we've seen no change".
However, he warned: "We might see the deaths in hospitals come down, but this proportion in nursing homes could have a considerable lag going forward."
The Government has been urged to collate and release more up-to-date figures for the number of deaths in care homes.
Sarah Deeny, assistant director of data analytics at the Health Foundation, commented: "Usually, the second most common place to die in England and Wales is the community. However, today's data reveal that for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, there were more deaths in care homes than in the community."
She added: "Better surveillance of deaths in care homes is clearly urgently needed, in a timely manner."
Sally Copley from the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Care home data should be published daily, just like the NHS, so we can get a true picture of what’s going on."
