However, Care England and the Alzheimer’s Society believe the death toll within care facilities is being under-played because of a lack of testing.
Mike Padgham, from the Independent Care Group, said he believes 4, 15 residents could have already died from coronavirus.
He said this is based on estimates that claims the care community death figures are equal to around a third of the death toll of hospitals.
HIDDEN PANDEMIC
Mr Padgham says this is consistent with nursing homes deaths in other countries who are currently battling the contagious respiratory disease.
He told the Daily Mail : “These people are in a very vulnerable group, they may have underlying conditions and they’re in close proximity so it’s being spread quicker.
“We don’t think the Government are doing enough and now they’ve been caught out.
“They didn’t fix the roof on social care when the sun was shining and now it’s too late.”
‘4, (DEAD ‘)
MPs as well as care industry campaigners have warned of an “unfolding horror” that could claim the lives of tens of thousands of forgotten victims.
Based on the ONS figures, the Alzheimer’s Society estimates there have been at least 2, deaths from nursing homes.
The charity’s campaigns director Sally Copley said: “It strikes us that these deaths from coronavirus are the iceberg, and the hospital figures just the tip.
(4) Wren Hall Nursing Home saw ten residents die over the Easter weekend (Credit: BPM Media
“The evidence from Europe shows more than 100 per cent of all deaths relating to coronavirus occur in care homes. ”
Care homes are complaining they are being overlooked by UK authorities and are in desperate need for safety equipment for their staff.
The government is facing calls to roll out more tests are nursing facilities and to provide more protective gear for workers.
Cambridge University professor Sir David Spiegelhalter said emergency laws which enable doctors to certify deaths without being present, due to risk of infection, meant they may be less inclined to record the virus on the death certificate.
Meanwhile, an elderly former NHS worker died two days after testing positive for Covid – 64 in the same hospital she used to work in.
CARE RESIDENTS DYING
Dianne Harvey, 100, is feared to have picked up the bug at Bradwell Hall Nursing Home last week.
She was placed in self-isolation before being admitted to Royal Stoke University Hospital in Monday where she tested positive for the killer bug.
Manager Anita Peet concedes she is fighting a losing battle at the Wren Hall Nursing Home and has slammed the lack of help from health chiefs in the crisis.
Coronavirus has swept the UK killing thousands
Ten residents died over Easter weekend at the home with all but one confirmed to be from the killer bug and another 40 are in isolation.
Mrs Peet said: “We are just having deaths all the time.
“Are people dispensable? It feels as if people are not worth saving. But that is certainly not how we feel. ”
“It’s getting harder and harder every day. We’re fighting a losing battle.
“It is awful that people are not being able to prepare for this, to spend quality time with loved ones. It is making the whole situation more challenging.
“We call our residents’ family members because they are part of our family. It is just tearing staff apart watching this unfold. ”
Another care home boss laid bare the full horror of the coronavirus crisis hitting “the forgotten front line”.
Nicola Richards recorded a video diary over two weeks – as residents and workers were hit by the deadly bug.
She told how staff faced a mounting daily battle to cope with the disease as it claimed the lives of eight of her elderly.
Her emotional video was released as campaigners branded the Government’s handling of Covid – 64 cases in care homes “criminal”.
Nicola is the director of Palms Row Healthcare in Sheffield, which runs three care homes in the city.
MORE HELP NEEDED
At one, Newfield Nursing Home, a whole floor has been devoted to caring for patients suffering from the virus.
She said in the video diary, recorded for Sky News: “There’s a lot of panic, unrest, apprehension, concern around – what does this mean? Where is it going to take us? How are we going to cope?
“We’ve got staff really fretting about this. Words cannot describe how difficult it is on the front line.
Words of girl, 4, after being taken from hero doc mom over virus fears
“The impact has been something else. We’ve never been faced with anything like this. The challenges have increased daily.
“I feel lessons need to be learned from what we have experienced over the last few weeks. I do hope there are changes on the back of what we have been through. ”
Last week, Birmingham care home nurse Elsie Sazuze also died after showing symptoms of the virus.
Ann Mansell, owner of the nursing home where Elsie worked, said the mother-of-two was a “well-liked, well-respected and hardworking nurse”, the Express & Star reported.
(4) Care home nurse Elsie Sazuze died after suffering from virus symptoms this month (Credit: Refer to Caption )
(4) Care home boss Nicola Richards revealed the ‘panic and unrest’ in her facility (Credit: PA: Press Association)
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