North Carolina announced another 399 COVID-19 deaths Friday, an increase of 21 since Thursday, but the numbers provided by the state don’t give an accurate picture of the actual death toll.
The state and Mecklenburg County are both reviewing death certificates with the expectation additional deaths will be identified. Right now, they only report deaths of people who tested positive and never fully recovered from COVID-19, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
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“Deaths, where COVID-19 is reasonably suspected, but not laboratory-confirmed, should be indicated on the death certificate by the certifying physician as ‘probable’ or ‘presumed’ COVID-19, along with other underlying causes of death. In response to this guidance, MCPH set up a surveillance system within our vital records unit to track probable/presumed COVID-19-related deaths, as noted on new death certificates. We also conducted a retrospective review of death certificates to ensure none occurred prior to this guidance. Based on current information, there has been one death in Mecklenburg County that appears to meet CDC criteria for probable COVID-19-related death. The state must finalize these death certificates, including whether they meet CDC’s criteria for presumed/probable COVID-19 and the final cause of death. We are monitoring these deaths and will be conducting follow-up and contact tracing, where appropriate. We will not be including these in our routine reporting about laboratory-confirmed cases and outcomes.”
h/t Dr. Ley
