The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn’t drastically reduced the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19, but posts making that
bogus claim have been circulating widely —
But that’s not what the CDC information says.
In weekly updates provided on the CDC’s website, the agency
includes information on additional conditions present in patients who died with COVID-19. These other illnesses or conditions found to be present in a patient are called comorbidities. The agency also includes a chart detailing the number of patients with each additional condition.
For the week referenced in the
claim, the CDC
explained that the chart “shows the types of health conditions and contributing causes mentioned in conjunction with deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned.”
That means that 6% of those who died with COVID-19 through Aug. 15 didn’t have any other reported conditions.
It does not mean that the CDC has “quietly updated” the number of deaths associated with COVID-19 to a fraction of what had been reported. It’s also not new information; the agency has been providing the same information
since May.
But that’s not what the CDC information says.
In weekly updates provided on the CDC’s website, the agency
includes information on additional conditions present in patients who died with COVID-19. These other illnesses or conditions found to be present in a patient are called comorbidities. The agency also includes a chart detailing the number of patients with each additional condition.
For the week referenced in the
claim, the CDC
explained that the chart “shows the types of health conditions and contributing causes mentioned in conjunction with deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned.”
That means that 6% of those who died with COVID-19 through Aug. 15 didn’t have any other reported conditions.
It does not mean that the CDC has “quietly updated” the number of deaths associated with COVID-19 to a fraction of what had been reported. It’s also not new information; the agency has been providing the same information
since May.
But that’s not what the CDC information says.
In weekly updates provided on the CDC’s website, the agency
includes information on additional conditions present in patients who died with COVID-19. These other illnesses or conditions found to be present in a patient are called comorbidities. The agency also includes a chart detailing the number of patients with each additional condition.
For the week referenced in the
claim, the CDC
explained that the chart “shows the types of health conditions and contributing causes mentioned in conjunction with deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned.”
That means that 6% of those who died with COVID-19 through Aug. 15 didn’t have any other reported conditions.
It does not mean that the CDC has “quietly updated” the number of deaths associated with COVID-19 to a fraction of what had been reported. It’s also not new information; the agency has been providing the same information
since May.