Buncombe County announces change in number of COVID-19 related deaths

Press release from Buncombe County:

Earlier today, we learned of an important change to our number of COVID-19 related deaths and wanted to make our community aware of the change in the data.

During a final review of the ten deaths of Aston Park residents who recently were reclassified by the facility as non-COVID-related deaths, NC DHHS determined that these deaths do meet the case definition of a COVID-19 related death. Therefore, based on the state’s review and for the purposes of public health disease surveillance, as opposed to clinical definitions, NC DHHS has made the determination to count all ten deaths as COVID-related deaths.

COVID-19 deaths include people who have had a positive laboratory test for COVID-19, who died without fully recovering from COVID-19 and who had no alternative cause of death identified. Deaths are reported by hospitals and clinicians directly to the local and state health departments. Once reported, NCDHHS or LHD staff manually enter the death by date of death, into NC EDSS.

NCDHHS conducts ongoing data quality checks on NC EDSS data, including ensuring that there are no duplicate cases, and to remove cases that are not NC residents consistent with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiology guidance. After conducting data quality checks, the data are used to calculate the COVID-19 metrics posted on the NCDHHS website.

This change is reflected on the NC DHHS COVID dashboard and will be reflected on the Buncombe County COVID dashboard.

Every COVID-19 death represents a person who had family and friends. We continue to send our heartfelt condolences to those who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 during this global pandemic.

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One thought on “Buncombe County announces change in number of COVID-19 related deaths

  1. Anton

    So all ten of these deaths have been redefined as death caused by Covid. Is there any truth in anything about this pandemic?

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