*Deaths caused by COVID-19 shown above are most accurately tracked in figure that count when COVID-19 appears on a death certificate. (Source: Office for National Statistics weekly series.)
*Tests with a positive COVID-19 result shown above are from labs run by Public Health England (PHE), NHS hospitals, and private "Lighthouse" labs. The figures are updated daily> Below shows the latest daily figures. The total for recent days are under-estimates because it takes some time for all the results to be published. Tests for everyone with symptoms were not available late May -- so treat early figures with caution. (Source: PHE daily update)
* Daily totals of local deaths are also available. Shown below, they count how many die with a month of having COVID-19. (Source: PHE daily update)
*The under-reporting of COVID-19 Relying alone on the official figure on tests for coronavirus cases, was a misleading way to view the spread of the pandemic, partcularly at the beginning. It is clear from the many deaths that followed, that the new coronavirus was spreading widely in the UK long before significant testing began. With inconsistent and low volumes of testing for COVID-19, one way of estimating real infections is working back from deaths that follow approximately 3 weeks later. Read our full investigation here: Into the fog: How Britain lost track of the coronavirus
(Source: * Estimated new infections is a Reuters rough estimate based on a 1% infection fatality rate (IFR) [Most studies currently show IFR at 0.5%-1%] and average time from infection to death of approximately 3 weeks . The IFR will vary based on age distribution, so the number of infections is likely an over-estimate in the later stages of the outbreak when, in most areas, infection spread into care homes.
Notes - All estimates are unreliable in areas with only a few cases or deaths, e.g. the City of London.
- Additional data from Office of National Statistics; National Records of Scotland; Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency; Public Health England; Public Health Wales; Scottish government.
Data analysis and programming: Stephen Grey andRyan McNeill.