The CDC issued a new code for reporting Covid-19 deaths on March 24th.
Among other things, this directive states:
What is the new code?
The new ICD code for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is U07.1, and below is how it will appear in formal tabular list format.
U07.1 COVID-19
Excludes: Coronavirus infection, unspecified site (B34.2)
Severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS], unspecified (U04.9)
The WHO has provided a second code, U07.2, for clinical or epidemiological diagnosis of COVID-19 where a laboratory confirmation is inconclusive or not available. Because laboratory test results are not typically reported on death certificates in the U.S., NCHS is not planning to implement U07.2 for mortality statistics.
OK, so the CDC is NOT going to use the WHO code U07.2 in cases where a death is not confirmed as being from Covid-19. This is confirmed in the statement below:
Should “COVID-19” be reported on the death certificate only with a confirmed test?
COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate for all decedents where the disease caused or is assumed to have caused or contributed to death. Certifiers should include as much detail as possible based on their knowledge of the case, medical records, laboratory testing, etc. If the decedent had other chronic conditions such as COPD or asthma that may have also contributed, these conditions can be reported in Part II. (See attached Guidance for Certifying COVID-19 Deaths)
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/coronavirus/Alert-2-New-ICD-code-introduced-for-COVID-19-deaths.pdf
The bold text is the CDC’s own text, not mine.
This directive will likely increase the Covid-19 death toll, because a death will be assigned to Covid-19 even if there are other co-morbidity conditions, and even if there is not a confirmed lab test identifying cause of death as Covid-19. This is understandable during a pandemic when doctors have to treat patients and don’t have time to do paperwork.
But there’s something from a Minnesota doctor, who says that he received a form from the Minnesota department of public health to record deaths as Covid-19 whether the person died of Covid-19 or not. Start at 2:00 of the vid to save time. Or listen to all 7 minutes if you have the time.
There’s something fishy going on here. In the words of David Crosby: “There’s something going on here, that surely won’t stand the light of day.”