tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Emerg Infect Dis
. 2024 Jul;30(7):1352-1360.
doi: 10.3201/eid3007.231522.
COVID-19 Death Determination Methods, Minnesota, USA, 2020-2022[SUP]1[/SUP]
Lydia J Fess, Ashley Fell, Siobhan O'Toole, Paige D'Heilly, Stacy Holzbauer, Leslie Kollmann, Amanda Markelz, Keeley Morris, Abbey Ruhland, Scott Seys, Elizabeth Schiffman, Haley Wienkes, Zachary Zirnhelt, Stephanie Meyer, Kathryn Como-Sabetti
Accurate and timely mortality surveillance is crucial for elucidating risk factors, particularly for emerging diseases. We compared use of COVID-19 keywords on death certificates alone to identify COVID-19 deaths in Minnesota, USA, during 2020-2022, with use of a standardized mortality definition incorporating additional clinical data. For analyses, we used likelihood ratio χ[SUP]2[/SUP] and median 1-way tests. Death certificates alone identified 96% of COVID-19 deaths confirmed by the standardized definition and an additional 3% of deaths that had been classified as non-COVID-19 deaths by the standardized definition. Agreement between methods was >90% for most groups except children, although agreement among adults varied by demographics and location at death. Overall median time from death to filing of death certificate was 3 days; decedent characteristics and whether autopsy was performed varied. Death certificates are an efficient and timely source of COVID-19 mortality data when paired with SARS-CoV-2 testing data.
Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus disease; COVID-19; Minnesota; SARS-CoV-2; United States; coronavirus disease; death certificate; epidemiology; mortality; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; vital statistics; zoonoses.
. 2024 Jul;30(7):1352-1360.
doi: 10.3201/eid3007.231522.
COVID-19 Death Determination Methods, Minnesota, USA, 2020-2022[SUP]1[/SUP]
Lydia J Fess, Ashley Fell, Siobhan O'Toole, Paige D'Heilly, Stacy Holzbauer, Leslie Kollmann, Amanda Markelz, Keeley Morris, Abbey Ruhland, Scott Seys, Elizabeth Schiffman, Haley Wienkes, Zachary Zirnhelt, Stephanie Meyer, Kathryn Como-Sabetti
- PMID: 38916546
- DOI: 10.3201/eid3007.231522
Accurate and timely mortality surveillance is crucial for elucidating risk factors, particularly for emerging diseases. We compared use of COVID-19 keywords on death certificates alone to identify COVID-19 deaths in Minnesota, USA, during 2020-2022, with use of a standardized mortality definition incorporating additional clinical data. For analyses, we used likelihood ratio χ[SUP]2[/SUP] and median 1-way tests. Death certificates alone identified 96% of COVID-19 deaths confirmed by the standardized definition and an additional 3% of deaths that had been classified as non-COVID-19 deaths by the standardized definition. Agreement between methods was >90% for most groups except children, although agreement among adults varied by demographics and location at death. Overall median time from death to filing of death certificate was 3 days; decedent characteristics and whether autopsy was performed varied. Death certificates are an efficient and timely source of COVID-19 mortality data when paired with SARS-CoV-2 testing data.
Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus disease; COVID-19; Minnesota; SARS-CoV-2; United States; coronavirus disease; death certificate; epidemiology; mortality; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; vital statistics; zoonoses.