CDC has not reduced the death count related to COVID-19

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did t “backpedal” on number of deaths caused by COVID-19, reducing figure from nearly 154,000 to just over 9,000, as social media posts claimed.

term “Only 6%” trended widely on Twitter over weekend as supporters of QAn conspiracy ory promoted tweets that falsely suggested CDC h updated its records to show that only 6% of U.S. deaths tied to COVID-19 were legitimate. President Donald Trump was among those who tweeted information, which was later taken down by Twitter for violating platform rules.

posts, which received hundreds of thousands of shares online, were based on a regularly updated CDC data table showing underlying conditions for those who died of COVID-19. conditions included high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, as well as problems that are caused by COVID-19 itself, such as respiratory failure and pneumonia.

CDC data table is based on an analysis of death certificates that mention COVID-19 as a cause. For 6% of deaths, COVID-19 was only cause mentioned, CDC tes.

or 94% list COVID-19 and or conditions toger. Among those deaths, re were, on aver, 2.6 ditional conditions or causes per death, public health ncy said.

As of Aug. 26, CDC said, re were 161,332 deaths where COVID-19 was listed on death certificate. Social media users over weekend posted an older screenshot of data that showed 153,504 deaths. posts used 6% figure to claim U.S. death toll was much lower — 9,210.

“CDC just backpedaled (quietly) and justed U.S. COVID deaths from 153,504 to 9,210. mitting that ir numbers are so () that y are off by a whopping 94%,” said a post being shared on Facebook Monday.

But such claims misrepresent data. A death isn’t excluded from COVID-19 tally just because person was obese or h diabetes or dementia. Someone with heart problems can still be killed by COVID-19, and death certificate could mention both as contributing.

Experts say it’s t surprising that so few people who died from COVID-19 h underlying conditions listed on ir death certificates. It is rare for people t to have multiple medical issues at death.

“ underlying cause of death is condition that began chain of events that ultimately led to person’s death," Dr. Robert Anderson, who oversees CDC’s death statistics work, said in a statement. “In 92% of all deaths that mention COVID-19, COVID-19 is listed as underlying cause of death."

Also, while death certificates are supposed to list any causes or conditions that contributed, past research has shown that documents aren’t perfect. Doctors might t kw – or specify – all reasons behind a particular death.

More important, CDC figures show what medical professionals have been saying since outset of pandemic — that virus tends to have a more severe impact on people with underlying conditions.

For example, people died with diabetes t because of it, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious-diseases expert at Vanderbilt University.

“If it hn’t been for COVID virus infection, se people would be living today," he said. “So yes, although y have contributing underlying chronic health factors, it’s still COVID virus that killed m.”

(Im Credit: AP)