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COLUMBIANA, AL – APRIL 2, 2020: Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans, 48, receives calls and files paperwork in her office at the Butch Ellis Community Services Building.
In some states, COVID-related deaths may be underrepresented in the formal tallies. As the Shelby County coroner, Evans has overseen four confirmed COVID-19 deaths in her morgue, but she suspects the numbers may be low. “In Alabama, whenever we have a COVID positive test, it goes to the state and they review the case to officially declare if it was caused by COVID-19 or not.” According to Evans, if underlying comorbidities or pre-existing conditions contribute to the death of a COVID-positive patient, that death might not be documented. Beginning in April, Alabama began reporting COVID-positive deaths as well as COVID-caused deaths, which Evans thinks is a more accurate portrayal of the situation. “By not recording all deaths that were COVID positive, regardless of what is determined, it’s not doing justice for everyone,” she said. “It's skewing the numbers, and making everyone think it's not as bad as it is. This is serious. And not just for people who are 60 with pre-existing conditions. And don’t think for one second being in your 20s, 30s, 40s and healthy, that it cannot kill you. Because it can.”
CREDIT: Bob Miller for The New York Times
In some states, COVID-related deaths may be underrepresented in the formal tallies. As the Shelby County coroner, Evans has overseen four confirmed COVID-19 deaths in her morgue, but she suspects the numbers may be low. “In Alabama, whenever we have a COVID positive test, it goes to the state and they review the case to officially declare if it was caused by COVID-19 or not.” According to Evans, if underlying comorbidities or pre-existing conditions contribute to the death of a COVID-positive patient, that death might not be documented. Beginning in April, Alabama began reporting COVID-positive deaths as well as COVID-caused deaths, which Evans thinks is a more accurate portrayal of the situation. “By not recording all deaths that were COVID positive, regardless of what is determined, it’s not doing justice for everyone,” she said. “It's skewing the numbers, and making everyone think it's not as bad as it is. This is serious. And not just for people who are 60 with pre-existing conditions. And don’t think for one second being in your 20s, 30s, 40s and healthy, that it cannot kill you. Because it can.”
CREDIT: Bob Miller for The New York Times
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- © Bob Miller 2020
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