A concerning trend has emerged across England and Wales, with an increasing number of individuals being discovered in advanced states of decomposition, long after their passing, according to recent research. This phenomenon, observed over the past four decades, may have been exacerbated by the social isolation necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Academic investigators undertook an extensive analysis of data sourced from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), meticulously examining mortality statistics recorded between 1979 and 2020.
While a specific official category for undiscovered deceased individuals does not exist, the research team ingeniously employed two International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes – which are systematically logged – as reliable indicators to formulate an informed estimation.
These pertinent codes are R98, denoting an “unattended death,” and R99, pertaining to “other ill-defined and unknown causes of mortality.”
The statistical aggregates clearly illustrate a persistent escalation in these particular classifications of deaths, strongly implying an increased incidence of individuals succumbing and undergoing decomposition prior to their discovery.
“Remarkably, whilst mortality rates from all other ascertained causes experienced a decline between 1979 and 2020, the trajectory for deaths attributed to R98 and R99 (or ‘undefined deaths’) was precisely the inverse, with males disproportionately affected compared to females,” articulate the study’s authors within their peer-reviewed publication.
“A pronounced surge in these fatalities was noted across both genders, but was particularly evident among men during the 1990s and 2000s, a period coinciding with significant advancements in overall mortality outcomes.”
The multidisciplinary research consortium comprised academics from the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, Public Health Scotland, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, all based in the United Kingdom.
The scholarly work highlights two illustrative instances, from May 2021 and February 2022 respectively, where deceased individuals remained unnoticed for protracted durations – in one of these cases, for a period exceeding three and a half years.
These specific incidents also align with temporal phases during which the United Kingdom was implementing lockdown measures to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19.
According to the investigative team, a potential underlying driver of this trend is a “disruption of both formal and informal social support structures,” suggesting a scenario where vulnerable individuals are “slipping through the cracks” of societal support systems.
Prior investigations have previously established a correlation between social isolation and loneliness and an elevated risk of premature mortality. It is widely acknowledged that chronic or profound loneliness is a pervasive global issue, a problem that the pandemic undoubtedly compounded.
The researchers are advocating for enhanced strategies to monitor this escalating issue. The introduction of a distinct ONS code specifically designated for individuals discovered in a state of decomposition would represent a crucial initial step, thereby providing a foundation for addressing this grim societal challenge.
“The observed increase in individuals found deceased from indeterminate causes points towards broader societal deteriorations in both established and informal social support mechanisms,” assert the researchers. “These findings are deeply concerning and necessitate immediate and thorough examination.”
“We implore national and international governing bodies to contemplate the implementation of measures that would facilitate the more straightforward identification of these deaths within routine data collection processes.”
