The numbers of cornavirus deaths aren't likely accurate. Why? Because any death where coronavirus disease 2019 is present is being counted as a coronavirus death, even though it could be from something else they want to count it as a COVID-19 death. There is little coverage of the CDC directive on how to issue death certificates related to COVID-19 deaths.
The CDC via the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) issued a guidance directive on March 4th for how to certify deaths involving COVID-19. It said:
"It is important to emphasize that Coronavirus Disease 2019 or COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate for all decedents where the disease caused or is assumed to have caused or contributed to death."
...
"If the decedent had other chronic conditions such as COPD or asthma that may have also contributed, these conditions can be reported in Part II."
You can see this directive being applied across states:
https://www.medicalboard.iowa.gov/document/guidelines-reporting-and-certifying-covid-19-deaths
https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/files/IN_COVID-19_Coroners%204.8.20.pdf
https://health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/guidance-for-certifying-covid-19-deaths/
That's right. Any death where COVID-19 has been detected can be listed as an official COVID-19 death if the doctor deems it to be so. No need for a real autopsy to determine if the COVID-19 caused the death or not. Anyone who dies be it from heart failure for example, and happens to have COVID-19, that's an OFFICIAL COVID-19 death.
The April guidance from the CDC goes on to say that:
cases where a definite diagnosis of COVID–19 cannot be made, but it is suspected or likely (e.g., the circumstances are compelling within a reasonable degree of certainty), it is acceptable to report COVID–19 on a death certificate as “probable” or “presumed."
Doctors don't need a confirmation test of COVID-19 even being present at all, but can use their judgment to determine if COVID-19 is present or not, and still count it as a COVID-19 death.
On April 7th, the White House's Dr. Birx said:
"If someone dies with COVID-19 we are counting that as a COVID-19 death."
She even compares it to how other countries treat deaths from heart of kidney problems as dying from those problems, contrary to how the US is now do it, i.e. counting those types of deaths as CVOVID-19 deaths:
“There are other countries that if you had a pre-existing condition, and let’s say the virus caused you to go to the ICU [intensive care unit] and then have a heart or kidney problem. Some countries are recording that as a heart issue or a kidney issue and not a COVID-19 death.”
You can see the video her saying this here.
Wow. Are the media talking about this issue of how to count COVID-19 deaths? Not really. They do rebut claims of inflated numbers though. Like this title "Fauci dismisses 'conspiracy theory' of overstated US Covid-19 death toll"
“I think it falls under the category of something that’s very unfortunate – these conspiracy theories that we hear about. Any time we have a crisis of any sort there is always this popping up of conspiracy theories."
Yup. It's all bullshit then. No inflated death counts. It's all made up. Trust your "experts" and "authorities". Don't read things for yourself. Move along.