A change to how the state of Iowa reports coronavirus-related deaths increased Iowa’s COVID-19 death toll to 2,898.Until Monday, the Iowa Department of Public Health only reported COVID-19 deaths if the person who died had a positive PCR test result.That method left out deaths in which a person had tested positive using an antigen test and cases in which COVID-19 was listed as the cause of death on a death record without a positive test result. The Iowa Department of Public Health said the federal system for cause-of-death did not include COVID-19 as a cause of death when the pandemic first began.Moving forward, the state of Iowa will report all COVID-19 deaths in which a health care provider reports the cause of death or underlying cause of death as coronavirus.Iowa Department of Public Health Director Kelly Garcia clarified during a news conference that the change does not impact how causes of death are reported by health care workers.“I think it’s the typical process that is used again in every other way that an Iowan might die, or anyone who is visiting Iowa and happens to pass away while they’re here,” Garcia said. “That is, this is the typical process. nothing is changing around the way a clinician would do their work. Rather, we are changing the way we record that information at the state level.”Garcia said some Iowa counties will see an increase in total COVID-19 deaths and others will not.
DES MOINES, Iowa —
A change to how the state of Iowa reports coronavirus-related deaths increased Iowa’s COVID-19 death toll to 2,898.
Until Monday, the Iowa Department of Public Health only reported COVID-19 deaths if the person who died had a positive PCR test result.
That method left out deaths in which a person had tested positive using an antigen test and cases in which COVID-19 was listed as the cause of death on a death record without a positive test result.
The Iowa Department of Public Health said the federal system for cause-of-death did not include COVID-19 as a cause of death when the pandemic first began.
Moving forward, the state of Iowa will report all COVID-19 deaths in which a health care provider reports the cause of death or underlying cause of death as coronavirus.
Iowa Department of Public Health Director Kelly Garcia clarified during a news conference that the change does not impact how causes of death are reported by health care workers.
“I think it’s the typical process that is used again in every other way that an Iowan might die, or anyone who is visiting Iowa and happens to pass away while they’re here,” Garcia said. “That is, this is the typical process. nothing is changing around the way a clinician would do their work. Rather, we are changing the way we record that information at the state level.”
Garcia said some Iowa counties will see an increase in total COVID-19 deaths and others will not.