Following Centers for Disease Control guidance, the Alabama Department of Public Health has changed the way it accounts for some coronavirus deaths.
Previously the ADPH’s dashboard tracking COVID-19 cases showed the number of reported deaths and the number of confirmed deaths – reported deaths included figures provided through local health departments and hospitals; confirmed deaths were those confirmed by the ADPH.
The dashboard has now changed to show only one number – COVID-19 deaths.
The change comes as a result of updated Centers for Disease Control guidance on reporting COVID-19 deaths, as the criteria now includes those who died with a positive COVID-19 lab test as well as individuals whose death certificates list as the cause of death COVID-19 or an equivalent thereof. The guidance bumped the number closer to the “reported death” count and increased totals in some counties.
In Alabama, approximately 75% of coronavirus deaths were among those with underlying conditions with the most common being cardiovascular disease.
(AL.COM/www.al.com)