Care workers twice as likely to die of COVID-19 as healthcare workers

Care workers are twice as likely to die of COVID-19 as healthcare workers, with new figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) showing 131 care workers have died from COVID-19, approximately twice the amount of healthcare workers and other working age adults.

According to the data, a total of 86 women and 45 men working in social care died from COVID-19 up to 20 April.

In comparison, the data reveals NHS healthcare workers including doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, ambulance staff and hospital porters, were not statistically different to the general population.

The death rate for males in these roles was 10.2 deaths per 100,000 men and 4.8 deaths per 100,000 women.

'The government doesn’t give the same priority to social care as it does to the NHS'

Sally Warren, director of policy at The King’s Fund, said: “The latest statistics reveal that social care workers are approximately twice as likely to die of coronavirus as other working-age adults, including health care workers.

“These shocking figures suggest that social care workers are being disproportionately exposed to the virus and need more protection. This is further evidence that social care is right on the front line in the battle against coronavirus, and staff need to be prioritised and protected accordingly.

“There is a real crisis in social care; people are dying, and more will die if the government doesn’t give the same priority to social care as it does to the NHS.”

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said the "shocking statistics" are "another tragic reminder about the essential need for our vital social care workers to be fully protected and equipped to look after themselves, as well as our most elderly and vulnerable".

The deaths involving COVID-19 among male social care staff was 23.4 deaths per 100,000 men aged 20-64 (45 deaths in total), compared with a national rate of 9.9 and one of 10.2 among male healthcare workers.

Among women, the social care death rate was 9.6 deaths per 100,000 (86 deaths), compared with 5.2 for the general population and 4.8 for female health workers.

Mike Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Group (ICG) said the ONS figures reveal social care workers have suffered worse death rates than those working in NHS care.

"The age profile for those working in care is higher so that might play a part. But the quality of the protective equipment we had in the early stages and the difficulties in sourcing that PPE, may also have played a part too.

“It is clear that workers in social care were not as well protected in the early days as those in NHS healthcare."

As part of the government strategy, all symptomatic and asymptomatic care home staff and residents in England are now eligible for testing, but resources will be prioritised for care homes that look after the over 65s.

Care minister Helen Whately said: “Care homes are on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19 and we are determined that staff have everything they need to keep themselves and their residents safe."

She added: “By prioritising thousands of tests for care home staff and residents, we can target our national testing capacity in the areas and care homes with the greatest need.”

The figures are based on an analysis of the 2,494 registered deaths involving COVID-19 among workers aged 20 to 64 in England and Wales up to and including 20 April.