Florida’s coronavirus death count includes at least one young man who died in a motorcycle accident, according to a local health official.
After several reports that health organizations in Florida were misreporting data, Danielle Lama of Fox 35 Orlando spoke with Orange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino about several specific cases.
More questions about Florida’s #COVID19 data tonight after state health official tells us a person who died in a motorcycle accident was added to the state’s coronavirus death count. Story at 10 #FOX35News
— Danielle Lama (@DLama_FOX35) July 17, 2020
WATCH:
Lama asked Pino whether two younger people listed as COVID-19 deaths, both in their twenties, had suffered from any underlying conditions. (RELATED: Florida Hits 15,299 Positive COVID Cases, Most In One Day Since Pandemic Reached The US)
“The first one didn’t have any. He died in a motorcycle accident,” Pino replied.
When Lama followed up, asking whether his data had been removed from the official tally since his cause of death was the motorcycle accident, Pino said that he couldn’t be sure.
“I don’t think so. I have to double check. We were arguing, discussing, or trying to argue with the state. Not because of the numbers — it’s 100 … it doesn’t make any difference if it’s 99 — but the fact that the individual didn’t die from COVID-19 … died in the crash. But you could actually argue that it could have been the COVID-19 that caused him to crash. I don’t know the conclusion of that one,” Pino explained.
Fox 35 Orlando also reported that the state had issued an official statement attempting to clarify the criteria used to determine whether a death was counted as COVID-related or not.
A “COVID death” is determined if, “COVID19 is listed as the immediate or underlying cause of death, or listed as one of the significant conditions contributing to death. Or, if there is a confirmed COVID-19 infection from a lab test – and the cause of death doesn’t meet exclusion criteria – like trauma, suicide, homicide, overdose, motor-vehicle accident, etc.”