How many have died with hospital-acquired Covid in Wales?

A new mortality analysis report has been produced by Welsh government scientists and statisticians

About 2,400 people have died with Covid after catching the virus in hospital in Wales, estimates have showed.

The figures, produced in a new mortality analysis by Welsh government scientists and statisticians, only indicate those infected with Covid not what condition they died of.

Other data, obtained by BBC Wales, showed hospital-acquired deaths with Covid dropped sharply in the last year.

Wales has seen lower levels of "excess deaths" than most of the UK.

That's according to the Covid deaths analysis up to the end of 2021.

On deaths with hospital-acquired infections, the Welsh government report uses an updated estimate from Public Health Wales.

However, it said these 2,400 deaths are from all causes, and not just Covid-19, so the patient may have died within 28 days of a positive test but of another condition.

"This is an area where further investigation may be considered in the future," the scientists have said.

BBC Wales has obtained estimated figures from health boards, from Freedom of Information requests.

Excess deaths are the number of deaths greater than what we might expect to see in a normal year

It estimates about 2,133 deaths with Covid after hospital-acquired infection up to the end of January.

Both Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Betsi Cadwaladr health boards are estimated to have had more than 390 deaths.

But about 89% of those deaths were before the end of April 2021.

The Welsh government scientific analysis examined deaths throughout the pandemic and found deaths in the third wave at a lower level and without the sharp peaks of the first and second waves.

It also found more terminally ill people than usual, including from dementia, died at home rather than in a hospice or hospital setting.

Excess deaths are the number of deaths greater than what we might expect to see in a normal year.

But looking at different health boards, Cwm Taf Morgannwg has had deaths from all causes above normal levels through the different waves of the pandemic, standing at 15.9% above the five-year average up to the end of 2021.

That is above the Welsh average of 11.7%.

Wales has a lower proportion of excess deaths than all nations and regions, apart from south west England.

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The analysis by the Welsh government's Technical Advisory Group only covers the period to the end of December 2021.

The ONS has published subsequent analysis up to the end of last month.

Covid-19 was the sixth leading cause of death in Wales in February.

Deaths due to Covid accounted for 4.4% of all registered deaths which compares with 5.6% of all deaths in England.

Heart disease (10.8% of all deaths) was the leading cause of death in February in January.

Flu and pneumonia ranked seventh, with the mortality rate significantly lower than normal levels.

The ONS, which takes into account population and age structure, found the mortality rate for deaths due to Covid in Wales in February was 45.7 deaths per 100,000 - significantly lower than the previous month.

This was also lower than eight English regions and all except for south-west England (45.5).

The highest was in the north east (75.4 deaths per 100,000).

Three health board areas in Wales had mortality rates in February higher than the Welsh average - the highest was 56.7 deaths per 100,000 in Swansea Bay due to Covid.

Last week, Public Health Wales reported 381 "probable" and "definite" hospital-acquired Covid infections, a record over the pandemic.

That included a record number of 106 infections in hospitals run by Betsi Cadwaladr health board which covers north Wales.

Covid has always presented a challenge for hospitals, with infected people not always displaying symptoms.

In the wake of the spike in infections of the faster-spreading Omicron sub-variant, the last week has seen a 20% jump in patients testing positive.

However, only 15% of Covid-positive patients are actively being treated for the virus - most are being treated for other conditions.