The Health Information and Quality Authority has released findings.
The number of deaths from Covid 19 has been overestimated by an official report, from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).
The health watchdog says people infected with coronavirus but who died as a result of other factors are included in official figures.
Between March and June there were around 1,200 more deaths compared with other years.
However the official Department of Health figures show a death toll of more than 1,700.
We have examined the number of excess deaths that occurred during the current COVID-19 epidemic to inform the National Public Health Emergency Team’s response. Read the new analysis here: https://t.co/bx0itJ2QEV pic.twitter.com/hVp7zNvuDy
— HIQA (@HIQA) July 3, 2020
Chief Scientist with the watchdog Dr Conor Teljeur (PR: Tel-jur) explains why there is a difference between the two numbers.
''It's possible that some of the deaths reported as Covid-19 may have been due to other causes, but we think this may be a small amount.
''Possibly people who may have been close to end of life or at end of life and died with Covid-19, but we would've expected them to die during this time period.
"There were about 1,100 to 1,200 more deaths than we would expect based on historical patterns; a 13% increase between 11 March to 16 June. However, the number of excess deaths is substantially less than the reported 1,709 Covid-19-related deaths over the same period."
"Excess deaths peaked by 33% over a six-week period from 25 March 2020 to 5 May 2020", he added.
"During this period, there was an increase of 1,200 deaths from expected figures, with 1,332 Covid-19-related deaths officially reported."
