"Not all countries publish data on the numbers of deaths among care home residents linked to COVID-19 and international comparisons of the data available are difficult due to differences in testing capabilities and policies (particularly in the earlier part of the pandemic), different approaches to recording deaths, and differing definitions of what constitutes a “care home”.
There are three main approaches to quantifying deaths in relation to COVID-19: deaths of people who test positive (before or after their death), deaths of people suspected to have COVID-19 (based on symptoms or epidemiologically linked), and excess deaths (comparing total number of deaths with those in the same weeks in previous years). Another important distinction is whether the data covers deaths of care home residents or only deaths in the care home (as there are variations in the share of care home residents who are admitted to hospital and may die there).
Despite the difficulties arising from differences in definitions, in almost all countries where there have been deaths linked to COVID-19, a substantial proportion of those deaths were among care home residents.
Based on the data gathered for this report, up to the 26th January, the current average of the share of all COVID-19 deaths that were care home residents is 41% (based on 22 countries), this is lower than in previous phases in the pandemic."

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