OEM explains reporting of coronavirus deaths

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  • OEM explains reporting of coronavirus deaths
    OEM explains reporting of coronavirus deaths
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Fayette County Office of Emergency Management Chief Craig Moreau issued the following press release on Monday, Nov. 23:

“Fayette County is committed to providing the most accurate and verified information as soon as it is available. Proper verification is essential to trustworthy data. There are multiple governmental and non-governmental organizations reporting daily and total statistics for every region in the United States, and most areas of the globe. Differing definitions of what constitutes a case, and what constitutes a death accounts for most of the disparities in reporting.

“Fayette County’s dashboard displays death totals that have been verified that the cause of death was COVID-19. If a citizen was a COVID-19 case that passed away from other causes then the death is not reflected on our dashboard.

“In Fayette County, we rely on State of Texas regional data and locally-reported data to compile our daily reports. Recently, we were able to gain more information concerning some of the data. The additional information was provided based on a partnership with State Health Services.

“Our first reported death in Fayette County was reported on April 30.

“We now have identified 15 deaths that were directly related to COVID-19 infection.

“There are additionally three cases that were known COVID-19 infections and passed away but were not classified as COVID-19 deaths by the medical examiner.

“There are five cases reported by Department of State Health Services that are described by DSHS as ‘This person(s) was a resident of another county at the time of the COVID report and investigation but the address on the death certificate is coded to Fayette County. This person(s) does not count as a case in Fayette County but the death is counted in Fayette County based upon the residential address from the death certificate.’ The Office of Emergency Management does not have any specifics about these individuals but are continuing to investigate to the best of our ability.”

Statistics for all Fayette County reported deaths (including those who were a resident of another county but the death certificate was coded to Fayette County) are detailed below.

• Age –

70-plus...........................82%

Under 70........................18%

• Gender –

Female...........................55%

Male...............................45%

• Hospitalized.................... –

Yes......................... 68% (15)

Unknown................. 32% (7)

• Long-Term Care Resident –

Yes.................................... 11

No....................................... 3

Unknown............................ 8

• Zip Code –

78745 (Austin).................... 1

78932 (Carmine)................ 3

78938 (Ellinger)................. 1

78940 (Fayetteville)........... 2

78945 (La Grange)............. 9

78954 (Round Top)............ 1

78956 (Schulenburg).......... 5