London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Covid in Scotland: Virus no longer leading cause of death

Covid in Scotland: Virus no longer leading cause of death

March was the first month since October that Covid was not the leading cause of death in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland figures reveal the virus-related death rate fell from 259 per 100,000 population in February to 69 last month.

Official statistics also confirm a further 34 deaths where Covid was mentioned on the death certificate were registered up until 11 April.

This brings the total under the weekly measure to 10,031.

Since Sunday, a further three Covid deaths have been registered within 28 days of a positive test for the virus.

Last week Scotland passed the 10,000 deaths milestone, 13 months after the first was reported.

The monthly NRS analysis revealed Covid was the fifth leading cause of death in March after cancer, dementia/Alzheimer's, circulatory and respiratory causes - having been number one for five months in a row.

Overall, one in eight deaths last month had the virus as the underlying cause.

The report said: "This month on month decrease is similar in size to what was seen between May and June of 2020, when the first 'lockdown' was beginning to ease."

Remembering the Scots lost to Covid

"He was a quiet man who never complained about anything and was happiest around his family"


Friends and families have paid tribute to the people who have died in Scotland during the pandemic.

The weekly NRS report reveals the number of deaths linked to Covid registered between 5 April and 11 April, decreased by four from the previous week's total.

Since the recent peak of 452 between 18-24 January, deaths have now fallen for 11 consecutive weeks.

More than three quarters of the latest weekly deaths (76%) occurred in hospitals, where 26 were recorded. There were also five deaths in care homes and three at home or in non-institutional settings.

Half the deaths were of people aged 75 or over.


The National Records of Scotland figures provide helpful perspective on the pandemic and highlight how Covid is no longer the single biggest cause of death in Scotland.

Daily data published by the Scottish government with more immediate information also provides cause for optimism.

Just 119 people are now in hospital in Scotland with recently-confirmed Covid. Of these, 20 are in intensive care.

Vaccination progress continues to be impressive with 86% of people between 50 and 54 and 96% of those between 55 and 59 now vaccinated.

Meanwhile, two thirds of people over 80 have now had their second jab.

There is a growing sense that the link between infections and serious illnesses is being broken.

The demographics of the cases suggest only a very small proportion are now amongst the over-65s, while the proportion of cases involving people between 45 and 65 is declining.

Public support


It is highly unusual - thought not unknown - for younger people (who now account for the bulk of cases) to fall dangerously ill with Covid if they have no underlying health conditions, although transmission remains a risk.

Even for younger people, it can still prove to be a nasty and, in some cases, lingering condition.

The improving data is the reason the Scottish government says it can ease some restrictions early on Friday.

But politicians and scientists will also be aware that many are weary and some wonder how long public support for difficult measures can be maintained. Calls for further and faster easing are growing.

The more optimistic tone in messaging in recent weeks points towards a promise that the worst is over, but with a note of caution. The argument is that a more cautious approach will prove worth it.

The figure for excess deaths - one measure of working out how many people have died due to Covid - has fallen slightly because the number of deaths in Scotland is currently below average.

Since the start of the pandemic in March last year the total number of excess deaths in Scotland is 8,760.

The NRS noted that while registered deaths continue to fall, care should be taken when interpreting the number of deaths over the last fortnight.

This follows as the recent public holidays and the closure of registration offices for Easter may have led to a delay in registering some deaths.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×