On Tuesday, New York City added a huge number of deaths to the total number of deaths caused by the coronavirus after deciding to include over 3,700 victims who had not tested positive for the virus but were presumed to have the virus because of their symptoms and medical history.
The New York Times reported, “The new figures, released by the city’s Health Department, drove up the number of people killed in New York City to more than 10,000, and appeared to increase the overall United States death count by 17 percent to more than 26,000.”
Over the weekend, as the Times reported, Mayor Bill de Blasio decided to release the number of presumptive cases, most of whom died in hospitals. New York City is not alone; Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Ohio have started reporting probable cases of coronavirus-affected death, according to Oxiris Barbot, the New York City health commissioner.
The Times noted, “The C.D.C., in its guidance to local governments, has recommended that cases of ‘assumed’ coronavirus infection be recorded on death certificates since before New York City recorded its first death on March 14.”
The CDC reported on Monday that deaths in New York City from the coronavirus totaled 6,182, which expanded to 6,589 on Tuesday.
The CDC explains, “Deaths due to COVID-19 may be misclassified as pneumonia or influenza deaths in the absence of positive test results, and these conditions may appear on death certificates as a comorbid condition. Thus, increases in pneumonia or influenza deaths may be an indicator of excess COVID-19-related mortality. Additionally, estimates of completeness for influenza or pneumonia deaths may provide context for understanding the lag in reporting for COVID-19 deaths, as it is anticipated that these causes would have similar delays in reporting, processing, and coding.”
The CDC adds:
In cases where a definite diagnosis of COVID–19 cannot be made, but it is suspected or likely (e.g., the circumstances are compelling within a reasonable degree of certainty), it is acceptable to report COVID–19 on a death certificate as “probable” or “presumed.” In these instances, certifiers should use their best clinical judgement in determining if a COVID–19 infection was likely. However, please note that testing for COVID–19 should be conducted whenever possible.
The C.D.C notes how autopsies should be performed:
If an autopsy is performed for a suspected COVID-19 case, collection of the following postmortem specimens is recommended:
- Postmortem swab specimens for COVID-19 testing:
- Upper respiratory tract swab: Nasopharyngeal Swab (NP swab)
- Lower respiratory tract swab: Lung swab from each lung
- Separate swab specimens for testing of other respiratory pathogens and other postmortem testing, as indicated
- Formalin-fixed autopsy tissues from lung, upper airway, and other major organs
If an autopsy is NOT performed for a suspected COVID-19 case, collection of the following postmortem specimens is recommended:
- Postmortem Nasopharyngeal Swab (NP swab) specimen for COVID-19 testing
- Separate NP swab for testing of other respiratory pathogens
If an autopsy is performed for a confirmed COVID-19 case, collection of the following postmortem specimens should be considered:
- Postmortem swab specimens for testing of other respiratory pathogens,
- Other postmortem microbiologic and infectious disease testing, as indicated
- Formalin-fixed autopsy tissues from lung, upper airway, and other major organs
NYC Officials Start Adding People Who Never Tested Positive To Total Deaths From Virus
Reviewed by CUZZ BLUE
on
April 15, 2020
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