Maryland Department of Health Revises COVID-19 Death Data | Washington County – Washington County Government

May 27, 2021

Media Contact:

Deidre McCabe, Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-3536

Charles Gischlar, Deputy Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-6491

Maryland Department of Health Vital Statistics Administration issues revision of COVID-19 death data

Baltimore:The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Vital Statistics Administration (VSA) has revised the states COVID-19 data to include deaths that were not properly classified by medical certifiers over the past year. VSA identified these deaths as COVID-19 deaths through an information reconciliation process utilizing other sources of data.

COVID-19 death data are presented on the dashboard by both date of report and by date of death, and are updated as amendments to death records are received.VSA identified, through maintenance exercises, that some medical certifiers had miscoded the cause or probable cause of death.VSA is in the process of re-issuing guidance for coding protocols to medical certifiers.

When necessary, our epidemiologists make adjustments to reported health data as information is reviewed, verified, and corrected, said MDH Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services Dr. Jinlene Chan. It is important for medical certifiers to closely follow CDC guidance when reporting COVID-19 deaths. This data is critical for the public and the public health community, and our systems and processes are designed to ensure accuracy and transparency in our reporting to the public.

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The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement.

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NOTICE: This message and the accompanying documents are intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed and may contain information that is privileged, or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this email is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you are strictly prohibited from reading, disseminating, distributing, or copying this communication. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and destroy the original transmission.

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Maryland Department of Health Revises COVID-19 Death Data | Washington County - Washington County Government