BOISE, Idaho — #SixPercent created a firestorm on social media over the weekend.
The hashtag is in reference to an updated CDC dataset on COVID-19 related deaths.
The dataset details the types of health conditions and contributing causes mentioned in death certificates related to a COVID-19 infection.
The CDC website explains that “For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned.”
Thousands on social media claimed this new dataset proved 94% of COVID-19 related deaths weren’t actually caused by the virus, but instead from underlying medical conditions.
However, other factors listed on a death certificate along with COVID-19 does not mean it is not a COVID-19 death, according to retired CEO of St. Luke's Health Dr. David Pate.
If a person tests positive for the virus and dies from pneumonia, respiratory failure, heart attack or any other medical distress, that person's death certificate will still list COVID-19 as a cause of death.
This could be because the person may have developed a new medical condition as a result of the virus, or a pre-existing condition may have been worsened by the virus.
“What the CDC is reporting is all of those conditions that are reported on that death certificate,” Pate said.
This data is not new or shocking. In fact, it plays into what experts have said since the beginning of the pandemic.
People with underlying medical conditions are those most likely to die from COVID-19. In many cases, however, those with underlying health issues would have continued their normal life for years if not for the infection.
"Just because you or I have high blood pressure, we can take care of that and live for a long time. It is a risk factor, if we catch COVID, for having a more severe illness," Pate said. "So it would still be COVID that killed us even though we might have high blood pressure or diabetes or be obese or any number of other factors."
A narrative being pushed by some is those with comorbidities along with COVID-19 would have died anyway, but millions of Americans have underlying factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, according to Pate.
“It is very callous to dismiss the deaths as, 'Well that was somebody who was old,' or 'That is somebody who had an underlying medical condition,'" Pate said. "That describes a lot of our population."
Data from the CDC shows those who died from a COVID-19 infection had an average of 2.6 additional conditions. The agency listed the top conditions contributing to deaths involving COVID-19:
- Influenza and pneumonia (68,004 deaths)
- Respiratory failure (54,803 deaths)
- Hypertensive disease (35,272 deaths)
- Diabetes (25,036 deaths)
- Vascular and unspecified dementia (18,497 deaths)
- Cardiac Arrest (20,210 deaths)
- Renal failure (13,693 deaths)
- Heart failure (10,562 deaths)
- Other medical conditions (77,990 deaths)
Because of the narrative behind the CDC data, a concerning piece of data is not being discussed.
Yes, 6% of COVID-19 related deaths had no underlying health issues. Those are people who were expected to have an easier time recovering from the virus.
Again, from the beginning, medical experts warned of a higher death toll for those with certain factors.
From a public health standpoint, social media in 2020 has complicated fighting a pandemic compared to decades ago.
“All the conspiracy theories that before had to spread by word of mouth but now can spread over the internet in minutes,” Pate said.
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