Coronavirus: Scottish victims older than average life expectancy

The average age at which coronavirus patients die in Scotland is older than the age at which people die normally, grim figures show.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) data indicate that the median age of a Covid-19 death north of the border is 81 for men and 85 for women.

In contrast, life expectancy for a man in Scotland is 80.5, and women typically live up to 84, according to the Office for National Statistics.

It supports top scientists’ claims that thousands of patients who died in the outbreak may die soon, regardless of the disease.

The data adds to a slew of evidence showing that Covid-19 primarily affects the elderly, with schoolchildren more likely to be struck by lightning than victims of the virus.

Experts approached by MailOnline were divided on the significance of the finding, and some argued that it has “exacerbated the extraordinary impact age has on the risk of dying from the coronavirus.”

Others said they “expected the difference to be greater” and warned “that if you contract Covid-19, there is always a risk that you could die” – regardless of age.

For the UK as a whole, the median age of coronavirus victims is the same as in Scotland. But overall life expectancy is slightly higher on average in the other home countries – 82 and a half for men and 85 for women.

The median age of coronavirus deaths in Scotland was revealed by a Freedom of Information (FOI) request because the NRS does not provide a detailed breakdown of virus deaths by age group.

Sir David Spiegelhalter, statistician at Cambridge University who helped MailOnline crack the numbers, said: ‘These median ages [in Scotland] on death with Covid are very similar to those in England and Wales.

“It confirms that Covid-19 follows the known pattern of human risk, with the elderly being hugely more vulnerable than the young.”

But Keith Neal, emeritus professor of epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, urged caution when interpreting the median age.

He said care home residents skewed age upwards, and studies have found that victims of Covid-19 lose an average of 10 years.

Professor Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist at the University of East Anglia, echoed Professor Neal’s comments.

He told MailOnline, “The average age is not that different between Covid and non-Covid deaths, personally I expected the difference to be greater.

“The moderate increase in the mean age of Covid 19 deaths is probably due to the fact that very few young people and children die from Covid.

“We have known for weeks that older people over 70 die much more often, but there are still many deaths among young people. So I’m not sure I agree that statistics are reassuring. ‘

Dr. Andrew Preston, from the University of Bath, added, “The average of 85 and 81 is high, but again I think it reflects the fatal age groups.

Covid-19 also affects people with underlying problems, but this still mainly affects older age groups, ie if you are in your 60s, you are more likely to die from Covid-19 if you have diabetes or heart and vascular diseases than someone who does not. ‘

Dr. Ben Ainsworth of the University of Bath said, “It is not surprising that the average age is high because mortality is much higher in the elderly. However, average data like these only show general trends.

“Unfortunately, there is always a risk if you catch Covid-19, no matter what age group you are in, with serious consequences for both you and the people you come into contact with.”

For the UK as a whole, the median age of coronavirus victims is also 81 for men and 85 for women, a fraction lower than life expectancy.

But people in other parts of the UK generally live longer than those in Scotland – 82 and a half for men and 85 for women.

There are several reasons why the elderly have trouble fighting infection, including Covid-19.

The risk of chronic conditions increases significantly as people age, with four out of five people over 65 living with at least one underlying health condition.

The elderly also have a weaker immune system, a natural side effect of aging the body, making it harder to fight infections before they become serious.

The vast majority of people who become infected with the new coronavirus recover, with most patients experiencing a fever or cough that resolves within two or three weeks.

There are more than 4,190 coronavirus-related deaths to date in Scotland.

About 77 percent of them were over the age of 75, according to data as of July 15.

The virus has killed 28 people under the age of 45, and none under the age of 15, according to NRS.

It comes after a study finds that the risk of dying from coronavirus increases significantly depending on your age, with those over 65 more than 18,000 times more likely to die than those under 20.

Epidemiologists from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health studied data from Geneva, Switzerland to calculate the probability of death from Covid-19.

For those ages 10 to 20, the risk of dying from a coronavirus infection is three in a million, but for those over 65, it rises to about 60,000 in a million, figures show.

The team says that since Geneva has an “effective health care system” that could cope with the rising demand from Covid-19, their numbers are a “best care scenario.”

They said their findings suggest that doctors, specialists and governments should work on an age-specific approach to treating the virus and its spread.