Deaths attributed to COVID-19 as a percentage of all care home residents

Under 45s are at minimal risk from COVID-19 whereas over 10% of those over 80 who get the virus die. This means care homes have been the epicentre of the pandemic. So far, care homes in Spain and the UK are amongst the worst hit.

Older people, and particularly those with underlying health conditions, are the most at risk from COVID-19. The map above shows the percentage of all care home residents who have died from COVID-19 in several European countries. The data shows that care homes in the UK and Spain have been particularly badly affected, while those in Germany and Central Europe appear to have suffered less. 

Sweden, much talked about for its contrarian ‘soft’ strategy in tackling the pandemic, also failed to protect care home residents during the first wave. Reports indicate that as many as 50-70% of all COVID-19 deaths in the country occurred in care homes, and the data in the map above shows that nearly 3% of the care home population in Sweden has died from the virus.