UK out of top 20 worst hit by virus

BRITAIN is no longer among the top 20 countries in the world worst affected by the pandemic, data suggests.

Analysis of excess deaths shows the success of the UK’s vaccine programme, meaning it is now faring better on an international level than at any time in the past year.

The data is seen by experts as the most accurate way of measuring Covid-related deaths as it looks at fatalities from all causes over the past year, and compares this to a historical average over the same period.

It includes deaths from those who did not test positive due to limited testing capacity as well as indirect deaths from disruption to healthcare and society.

Analysis by the Economist shows that there have been 121,000 excess deaths in the UK since March last year – or 183 per 100,000 population.

This puts it 22nd in the world – the first time since the start of the pandemic it has fallen out of the top twenty.

Peru has had the highest level of excess deaths at 412 per 100,000, followed by Bulgaria and Mexico.

In total 127,237 people have died in Britain within 28 days of testing positive. Yesterday another 22 deaths and 2,396 cases were reported.