Michigan’s coronavirus death toll jumps to over 5,800 with revised count – The Detroit News

For the first time, Michigan has published a count of 240 probable coronavirus deaths the number ofpeople who never tested positive for COVID-19 but were suspected to have died from the virus.

The figure, when combined with the 5,597 confirmed COVID deaths through Thursday, bumped the state's death toll from the novel coronavirus 4% higher than previously thought to 5,837 total when including the presumptive deaths.

Public health experts have said the combined total, provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, is a truer representation of the virus's toll.

Beaumont medical technologist Michael Diskin runs a COVID-19 test specimen. Royal Oak-based Beaumont Health has started processing a limited number of COVID-19 tests in its own laboratory. On-site processing allows doctors to have results in hours instead of days.(Photo: Beaumont Health System)

That is in part because virus testing has been limited, and the official tally had so far only counted deaths where the individual had tested positive for COVID-19.

The state Friday also released for the first time a count of 4,928 probable cases of COVID-19.Those presumptive cases increased the state's total known cases by nearly 9%to 63,169 when added to the 58,241 cases confirmed by diagnostic testing.

We are continuing to improve the information we are providing as our goal is to share timely and accurate data during this pandemic, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive, said in a statement.

Probable deaths include individuals without a COVID-positive test who were presumed to be infected due to their symptoms and an epidemiological link, according to the state health department.The definition alsocovers those whosedeath certificate listedCOVID-19 disease as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death.

Examples includesudden deaths at home attributed to COVID,deaths at the hospital before the individual could testpositive, and patients whofalsely tested negative but who were clinically considered a COVID case, experts said.

Michigans local health departments have been reporting both confirmed and probable COVID deaths to the state for weeks. Each local health departmentreceived guidance, along with recommendations to evaluate cases based on the council's standard, state health department spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin has said.

Additional information is necessary to define a probable death, requiring a report and then a public health investigation, so establishingthis class of deaths takes longer, she said. Most would be found during contact monitoring of people potentially exposed to infection, Sutfinadded.

Probable cases"provides a more complete picture about how COVID-19 has impacted the state," shesaid recently.

mburke@detroitnews.com

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Michigan's coronavirus death toll jumps to over 5,800 with revised count - The Detroit News