In one Missouri county, coroner excludes COVID from death certificates if family asks

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Kansas City Star

CORONAVIRUS

In one Missouri county, coroner excludes COVID from death certificates if family asks

BY JAKE KINCAID, DEREK KRAVITZ, AND CAMERON BARNARD BROWN INSTITUTE FOR MEDIA INNOVATION
UPDATED AUGUST 03, 2021 09:44 AM

MACON, MISSOURI

Macon County Coroner Brian Hayes handles the death certificates for this cattle, corn and soybean region of 15,000 in north-central Missouri, near Kirksville -- roughly 130 to 140 deaths each year. That includes certifying the deaths of the few dozen residents who have succumbed to the coronavirus. ... And in some cases, it has meant excluding COVID-19 from death certificates.

COVID-19 is as much a political issue as a personal tragedy for some families. They don't want the virus on any official record for their dead loved one. For others, restrictions on hospital or nursing home visits made death and the grieving process almost unbearable. The word "COVID" had become a cruel reminder of how they couldn't see their family members as they lay dying and, ultimately, of what they had lost.

So the solution: Leaving COVID-19 off the death certificate entirely -- an ethically questionable approach frowned on by much of the U.S. medical community as it tries to ascertain the the deadly extent of the pandemic in rural sections of the country and halt its spread. ... The Macon County coroner omitted COVID-19 on at least a half-dozen death certificates in cases where another major factor -- pneumonia in an elderly patient or "you know, grandma had one lung and smoked all her life," for example -- could be justified as the sole cause of death.

{snip}

Missouri is one of a handful of states that doesn't count "probable" COVID deaths -- those missing a positive PCR COVID test -- on its online dashboard or in official state tallies. The Department of Health said it has sought to not count these to avoid "further mistrust and confusion" among Missourians and works with the CDC to seek corrections to death certificates, as they arise. ... The reason for the purposefully limited counting of COVID deaths, according to one state health official, is a decision made by the state health department's "prior leadership," alluding to former DHSS director Dr. Randall Williams, a confidant of Gov. Mike Parson, who resigned in April.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article253147128.html

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While we're at it, never mind that everyone who gets his water from this one water pump has contracted cholera.

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Hat tip, Joe.My.God.

Missouri Coroner Won't List COVID Death If Family Asks
August 3, 2021

https://www.joemygod.com/2021/08/missouri-coroner-wont-list-covid-death-if-family-asks/

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There's a thread in GD too.

Well this could get the number of COVID deaths down in a hurry.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215695550

[ret5hd]

1. It would seem there would be something...

about falsifying official documents or something like that.

“Doc, please don’t list ‘shot-in-the-head’ as cause of death! It was a swimming accident!”

[Rhiannon12866]

10. What is the preferred cause? "Natural causes??"

[Harker]

11. Officially, that's now "failure to thrive."

A nebulous, yet accurate term that was on my father's death certificate.

[Rhiannon12866]

12. I'm very sorry to hear that, but there must be a specific cause - like organ failure?

And keeping track of Covid cases - and deaths - needs to be a priority in the fight against it.

[Harker]

13. There were further explanatory entries.

Yes, you're right, of course, about accurate data.

Bizarre that a doctor would defer in that way.

[Rhiannon12866]

15. When it came to my mother, her long-time doctor called the shots.

I tried, but he didn't listen to me. *sigh*

[Delphinus]

19. Agreed.

Seems it would be against the law - well, that would be against the law before the trumptard and his minions made disregard of the law the rule.

[Kota]

2. Bet if they announced death benefits to those that dies of covid, we would see these people

back at the coroners office.

[Harker]

14. That crossed my mind, too. n/t

[brewens]

3. That should be popular with people that will never own up to killing their loved ones.

There are a lot of them and will be more.

[keithbvadu2]

16. Excuse for killing?

https://www.yahoo.com/now/woman-blamed-trump-giving-her-133613382.html

Woman Who Blamed Trump after Giving Her Husband Fish-Tank Cleaner Now Under Investigation for Murder

[Bengus81]

4. I thought Covid is a hoax??

So he's leaving off a hoax? Seriously...that POS should be made to step down NOW.

[DURHAM D]

5. Why isn't this illegal? nt

[Pas-de-Calais]

6. Misery is my state

Have told people it’s like weirdly colored Oreo.

Blue wafers in St Louis & Kansas City
With
Red icing center

[Initech]

7. What could possibly go wrong?

[GulfCoast66]

8. They are embarrassed to be dying due to their stupidity.

If they can keep the fact they are the ones dying from becoming public they can continue to keep their heads in the sand.

I really think their position is starting to crumble. In Florida people know it’s bad. Many republicans as well as all democrats. DeSantis’s continued silence is wearing thin.

[SunSeeker]

9. OMFG. That Coroner is a political hack who should resign!

Republicans always always accuse us of shit THEY DO.

[BradAllison]

17. Cause of death: Jebus needed another angel

[MrModerate]

18. These folks work tirelessly in search of new ways to be stupid. It's a kind of genius. n/t