{"id":487891,"date":"2021-05-09T08:50:24","date_gmt":"2021-05-09T12:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=487891"},"modified":"2021-05-09T08:50:32","modified_gmt":"2021-05-09T12:50:32","slug":"fact-check-is-any-death-that-occurs-within-20-days-of-a-positive-covid-19-test-automatically-counted-as-a-covid-19-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-is-any-death-that-occurs-within-20-days-of-a-positive-covid-19-test-automatically-counted-as-a-covid-19-death\/","title":{"rendered":"FACT CHECK: Is Any Death That Occurs Within 20 Days Of A Positive COVID-19 Test Automatically Counted As A COVID-19 Death?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">42<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffact-check-is-any-death-that-occurs-within-20-days-of-a-positive-covid-19-test-automatically-counted-as-a-covid-19-death%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=487891&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>An image <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/COYgRJrAY_q\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">shared on Instagram<\/a> claims any death that occurs within 20 days of a positive COVID-19 test result is counted as a COVID-19 death.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7187523\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7187523\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7187523\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-07-at-2.28.55-PM.jpg\" alt=\"Instagram\/Screenshot\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-07-at-2.28.55-PM.jpg 593w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-07-at-2.28.55-PM-120x120.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-07-at-2.28.55-PM-620x620-1.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-07-at-2.28.55-PM-768x768-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-07-at-2.28.55-PM-1536x1536-1.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-07-at-2.28.55-PM-2048x2048-1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 593px) 100vw, 593px\"  style=\"display:none\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7187523\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Instagram\/Screenshot<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span><strong>Verdict: False<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>There is no indication that deaths that occur within 20 days of a positive test are automatically classified as COVID-19 deaths; neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nor the World Health Organization (WHO) guidance for counting COVID-19 deaths mentions a 20-day rule. Local physicians, medical examiners or coroners determine and report the cause of death for an individual.<\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Fact Check:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COVID-19<\/a>, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has killed over 577,000 people in the U.S. to date, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#datatracker-home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CDC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In recent days, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/COYgRJrAY_q\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Instagram<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/COY367AndG0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">users<\/a> have been sharing a screen grab of a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Anthea06274890\/status\/1388758144420126725\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 2 tweet<\/a> from the Twitter account @Anthea06274890 that attempts to suggest the COVID-19 death tally is being inflated. The tweet <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Anthea06274890\/status\/1388758144420126725\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reads<\/a>, \u201cFunny isn\u2019t it, if you die within 20 days of testing positive for the Rona (no matter what other factors were involved) You\u2019ll be counted as a COVID death. However, if you drop dead within 24 hours of taking the vaccine it has nothing to do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Check Your Fact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=COVID-19+death+within+20+days+of+positive+test&#038;bih=686&#038;biw=1396&#038;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS820US820&#038;hl=en&#038;ei=w3KVYMqmIYOstQazkKzQAQ&#038;oq=COVID-19+death+within+20+days+of+positive+test&#038;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EANQ2Q5Y_xFgsBRoAXAAeACAAX2IAfYDkgEDMi4zmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesABAQ&#038;sclient=gws-wiz&#038;ved=0ahUKEwiKlKGzhrjwAhUDVs0KHTMICxoQ4dUDCA4&#038;uact=5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">didn\u2019t find<\/a> any indication a rule about classifying deaths that occur within 20 days of a positive COVID-19 test result as COVID-19 deaths \u201cno matter what other factors were involved\u201d exists. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/checkyourfact.com\/2021\/05\/03\/fact-check-fda-not-authorize-approve-covid-19-vaccine\/\">(RELATED: Will The FDA Not Authorize Or Approve Any COVID-19 Vaccine?)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The CDC\u2019s national COVID-19 death tally comes from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/nvss\/covid-19.htm#understanding-the-numbers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">state and local death certificate data<\/a> through the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The death certificate process differs from state to state, as there is no federal law dictating the process, according to a report from the <a href=\"https:\/\/fas.org\/sgp\/crs\/misc\/R46588.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Congressional Research Service<\/a>. How states <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/investigations\/which-deaths-count-toward-the-covid-19-death-toll-it-depends-on-the-state\/2020\/04\/16\/bca84ae0-7991-11ea-a130-df573469f094_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">count<\/a> COVID-19 deaths can vary, but there\u2019s no evidence any state has a rule like the one described in the tweet.<\/p>\n<p>When a person dies, the local physician, medical examiner or coroner charged with determining the cause of death reports the cause on the death certificate, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/nvss\/covid-19.htm#understanding-the-numbers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CDC website<\/a>. The physician, medical examiner or coroner who reports the cause of death on a death certificate is \u201casked to use their best medical judgment based on the available information and their expertise,\u201d the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/nvss\/covid-19.htm#understanding-the-numbers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CDC website<\/a> states.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn order for COVID-19 to be listed on the death certificate, the infection must have caused or contributed to the death. It is not just a matter of having a positive test,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thename.org\/president-s-welcome\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">James Gill<\/a>, the president of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thename.org\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">National Association of Medical Examiners<\/a>, explained in an email to Check Your Fact. \u201cThe cause of death should not be based on an arbitrary cutoff (like 20 days) of a positive test. In order to include COVID-19 on the death certificate, the COVID-19 infection must play a role in causing or contributing to the death regardless of the number of days following the positive test result.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Gill mentions, COVID-19 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/covid19\/mortality-overview.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">can be listed<\/a> on a death certificate as the underlying cause of death or a contributing factor. In at least 90 percent of the total deaths attributed to COVID-19 on death certificates through the week ending May 1, the disease was listed as the underlying cause, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/covid19\/mortality-overview.htm\">CDC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Both the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/covid19\/coding-and-reporting.htm\">CDC<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/classifications\/icd\/Guidelines_Cause_of_Death_COVID-19.pdf?ua=1\">WHO<\/a> provide guidance on how health authorities should count COVID-19 deaths, but neither organization mentions automatically counting deaths that occurred within 20 days of a positive test as COVID-19 fatalities. The CDC\u2019s guidance specifically <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/data\/nvss\/coronavirus\/cause-of-death-data-quality.pdf\">states<\/a> that \u201cCOVID-19 should not be reported on the death certificate if it did not cause or contribute to the death.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The notion that COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are being overcounted is inconsistent with <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jama\/fullarticle\/2778361\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">excess mortality data<\/a>. An analysis from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2021\/01\/14\/us\/covid-19-death-toll.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The New York Times<\/a> found that about 574,000 more people in the U.S. died from March 2020 to early 2021 than would have in a normal year.<\/p>\n<p>The CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/vaccines\/safety\/adverse-events.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">monitor for and investigate<\/a> reports of deaths that occur after COVID-19 vaccinations through efforts such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/vaers.hhs.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System<\/a>. CDC and FDA physicians \u201creview each case report of death as soon as notified and CDC requests medical records to further assess reports,\u201d according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/vaccines\/safety\/adverse-events.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CDC website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The CDC website <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/vaccines\/safety\/adverse-events.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">states<\/a> that COVID-19 vaccines \u201care safe and effective.\u201d As of May 7, over 254.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the U.S., according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/vaccines\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CDC<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An image shared on Instagram claims any death that occurs within 20 days of a positive COVID-19 test result is counted as a COVID-19 death. &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2277590,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-07-at-2.28.55-PM.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"FACT CHECK: Is Any Death That Occurs Within 20 Days Of A Positive COVID-19 Test Automatically Counted As A COVID-19 Death?","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-487891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Screen-Shot-2021-05-07-at-2.28.55-PM.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"FACT CHECK: Is Any Death That Occurs Within 20 Days Of A Positive COVID-19 Test Automatically Counted As A COVID-19 Death?","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=487891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487891\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2277590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=487891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=487891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=487891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}