Mayo coroner raises questions over accuracy of Covid-19 death statistics

A Mayo coroner has raised questions over the Covid-19 death statistics published daily by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).

Swinford-based solicitor Pat O’Connor told the Sunday Times he believes the recorded death figures for the illness “do not have a scientific basis."

A total of 4,835 deaths of people with Covid-19 have occurred to date, NPHET's latest figures revealed yesterday evening.

But, according to Mr. O'Connor, cases where Covid is recorded as the principal cause of death when a person is already terminally ill raises questions about the accuracy of the method of recording.

He elaborated: “In reality, a lot of people have terminal cancer or multiple other serious co-morbidities.

"People can die from Covid and or with Covid. I think numbers that are recorded as Covid deaths may be inaccurate and do not have a scientific basis,” Mr. O’Connor said.

“When a person is suffering from a number of medical conditions which will or may lead to their death at some short time in the future, if they are unlucky enough to be infected by the Covid virus then at death if they prove to be Covid positive in a test, it is that which is recorded as the principal cause of death — even though that person may have been terminally ill with a short life-expectancy prior to such testing.”

The newspaper referenced a report published last week by Kildare coroner Dr. Denis Cusack which presented evidence that 99% of the 230 Covid-related deaths in Kildare to date had underlying conditions.