Coronavirus has been the underlying cause in more than three times the number of deaths than flu and pneumonia combined so far this year, according to the latest figures.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that more than 48,000 deaths from Covid-19 have been recorded between January and August 2020 in England and Wales.
Of the 52,327 deaths mentioning coronavirus on the death certificate, a total of 48,168 deaths had Covid-19 listed as the underlying cause of death.
For the same period, flu and pneumonia were mentioned on more death certificates than Covid-19 - but just 13,619 deaths were caused by pneumonia and 394 deaths were due to influenza.
In every year since records began, there have been fewer deaths due to flu and pneumonia from January to August than there have been deaths due to Covid-19 so far this year.
In care homes, the proportion of deaths due to coronavirus was almost double than that of pneumonia and flu between January and August this year.
Coronavirus accounted for 30 per cent of the deaths in care homes, compared to 15.2 per cent for pneumonia and flu, the ONS said.
Sarah Caul, head of mortality analysis at ONS, said: “More than three times as many deaths were recorded between January and August this year where Covid-19 was the underlying cause compared to influenza and pneumonia.
“The mortality rate for Covid-19 is also significantly higher than influenza and pneumonia rates for both 2020 and the five-year average.
“Since 1959, which is when ONS monthly death records began, the number of deaths due to influenza and pneumonia in the first eight months of every year have been lower than the number of Covid-19 deaths seen, so far, in 2020.”
