UK health authorities concerned over excess deaths

British health specialists are expressing concern about a significant rise in the number of excess deaths following the highest point of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent publication in The Lancet, experts from academia and government health agencies reported that there were an estimated 28,000 to 28,500 additional deaths during the initial six months of 2023. This signifies an 8.6% surge in excess mortality compared to the average over a five-year period, excluding 2020. Furthermore, it surpasses the 7.2% rise saw in 2022, during which the UK had 44,255 additional fatalities.

The majority of deaths were attributed to cardiac causes. Out of all the recorded excess fatalities during the period from June 2022 to June 2023, cardiovascular disease (CVD) was responsible for 12% of the cases, heart failure accounted for 20%, and 15% of the deaths were attributed to ischemic heart disease. Additional factors contributing to mortality included liver illness (19%), acute respiratory infections (14%), and diabetes (13%). Cardiovascular fatalities had a notably elevated prevalence within the age group of 50 to 64.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the UK has reported that fatalities occurring at home were 22% more than anticipated, while deaths in hospices were 12% fewer. This indicates that a significant number of these deaths were abrupt and unforeseen.

Additionally, the scientists highlight in their research that unlike during the pandemic, where older persons were responsible for the majority of excess deaths, the current impacted populations consist mainly of middle-aged and younger adults.

The greatest numbers of excess deaths in the acute phase of the pandemic were in older adults. The pattern now is one of persisting excess deaths which are most prominent in relative terms in middle-aged and younger adults, with deaths from CVD causes and deaths in private homes being most affected.

The Lancet

The authors propose numerous potential causes for the increase in excess deaths, while they maintain uncertainty on the exact reason.

The causes of these excess deaths are likely to be multiple and could include the direct effects of Covid-19 infection, acute pressures on NHS acute services resulting in poorer outcomes from episodes of acute illness, and disruption to chronic disease detection and management. Further analysis by cause and by age- and sex-group may help quantify the relative contributions of these causes.

The Lancet

A significant number of these fatalities would fall under the category of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), as defined by the British Heart Foundation. SADS is characterized by the sudden and unexpected death of an individual due to cardiac arrest, with no identifiable cause for the arrest.

The UK has been perplexed for months by the rise in unexplained fatalities, prompting academics and media professionals to seek explanations.

Various ideas have been proposed, one of which is the assertion made by UK Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty that the deaths were attributed to a decrease in prescriptions for cardiac medicine, despite the absence of evidence supporting this claim. Contrary to the claims made by others, the British Medical Association also rejected the notion that the deaths were caused by physicians’ strikes. In May, the Mirror proposed that “climate change” could be a contributing factor due to the recurring heat during the summer, which is expected to worsen as climate change continues to pose a significant danger.

Medical specialists are now urging for a probe into the excess deaths, especially due to concerns that the COVID-19 vaccines may be wrongly attributed as the cause.

According to Doctorcall Medical Director Dr. Charles Levinson, the government’s lack of communication is leading to the emergence of “harmful theories,” as clarified by Express UK, which are being propagated by “anti-vaxxers.”

“The scientific community’s failure to openly address these statistics demonstrates a lack of responsibility, resulting in a permanent loss of trust from certain segments of society,” stated Levinson. Most individuals have remained silent on the problem, resulting in a void that is being occupied by potentially harmful theories.

Oxford University’s Centre for Evidence-based Medicine Director Professor Carl Heneghan has emphasized the need for a study into the increasing death toll. However, he dismissed any claims linking vaccines to these deaths as baseless speculation.

The Government’s investigation into these killings has been a total failure. “This indicates a lack of knowledge on how to effectively prevent additional avoidable fatalities, which in turn contributes to the spread of unfounded theories regarding the causes,” stated Heneghan.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a noteworthy association between the COVID-19 vaccinations and a 25% rise in cardiac incidents among young individuals. The State of Florida, in a statement advising against vaccinating males aged 18–39, referenced their own analysis which revealed an 84% rise in the relative occurrence of cardiac-related death among males in the 18–39 age group within 28 days of receiving an mRNA immunization.

There is a concerning and as of yet “unexplained” trend in Great Britain, which involves a notable 50% rise in heart arrhythmia cases. According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), around 1 in 45 individuals in Britain currently have atrial fibrillation, also known as irregular heartbeat.

The BHF conducted an analysis of data from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and discovered that the number of atrial fibrillation cases had exceeded 1.5 million, a significant increase from one million instances in 2013.