New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicates that, of the 137,321 people who died from Covid-19 in England and Wales in 2020 and 2021, just over one in five (21.8%) had dementia. While dementia was the most common pre-existing condition in 2020, it was the third most common in 2021, behind diabetes and hypertensive diseases. “We’ve known for some time that people with dementia have been hit disproportionately hard during the pandemic, but this new data serves as a stark reminder of the growing challenge we face in tackling the condition,” said David Thomas, head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK. “People with dementia are more likely to be living with a range of conditions that put them at greater risk of severe Covid-19 symptoms.”
