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It was not possible to find the definition of "COVID-19 deaths" in the Government of Canada sources. Therefore, an Access to Information Request was made to Public Health Agency of Canada, in order to obtain such information. In meanwhile, it is assumed that the Government of Canada is using the same definition as used by the Office of National Statistics in the United Kingdom, which is pasted below (Source: "Section 5. Definition of COVID-19 deaths"):
'COVID-19 deaths' definition: "Deaths where the patient died within 60 days of testing positive for COVID-19 or after 60 days but COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. Also includes deaths where the patient died within (equal to or less than) 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19."
Observation #2: 'COVID Deaths' include 'Deaths from COVID' and 'Deaths with COVID'
The Office of National Statistics in the United Kingdom (Section 5. Definition of COVID-19 deaths) defines "COVID Death" as "Deaths where the patient died within 60 days of testing positive for COVID-19 or after 60 days but COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. Also includes deaths where the patient died within (equal to or less than) 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19."
Reported number of "COVID-19 deaths" includes "Deaths from COVID" as well as "Deaths with COVID", many of which are caused by other heath problems and old age. The more contagious the COVID-19 variant, the more “COVID deaths" is reported, regardless of how deadly the variant is. This explains why the average age of people dying from COVID-19 is close to the average life expectancy. This also explains why the number of other causes of deaths, such as Alzheimer's disease and suicides, went down since the announcement of pandemic.
When counting the Deaths from COVID only, their number is much less that what is reported and less than that of many other causes of deaths. Since August 2021, the number of "Deaths from COVID" have become less than that from influenza during the influenza seasons in the past ten years.
UK defines #COVIDdeaths as "Deaths where patient died within 60 days of testing positive for COVID-19. Also includes deaths where patient died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19." Anyone knows how they are defined in #Canada?
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https://www.cpsbc.ca/news/publications/college-connector/volume-8-no-2-mar-apr-2020
Mar / Apr 2020
The following information was submitted by the BC Vital Statistics Agency and Statistics Canada to ensure deaths due to COVID-19 are properly certified for data accuracy.
With the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic and subsequent increasing mortality from the virus worldwide, there is increased importance on certifying these deaths correctly.
1. Recording COVID-19 on the medical certificate of cause of death
COVID-19 should be recorded on the medical certificate of cause of death for all decedents where the disease caused, or is assumed to have caused, or contributed to death.
2. Terminology
The use of official terminology, as recommended by the World Health Organization (i.e. COVID-19) should be used for all certification of this cause of death.
As there are many types of coronaviruses it is recommended not to use “coronavirus” in place of COVID-19. This will help to reduce uncertainty for coding and monitoring these deaths which may lead to underreporting.
3. Chain of events
Due to the public health importance of COVID-19, when it is thought to have caused or contributed to death it should be recorded in Part I of the medical certificate of cause of death.
Specification of the causal sequence leading to death in Part I of the certificate is also important. For example, in cases when COVID-19 causes pneumonia and fatal respiratory distress, both pneumonia and respiratory distress should be included along with COVID-19 in Part I. Certifiers should include as much detail as possible based on their knowledge of the case, medical records, laboratory testing, etc.
Example:
Immediate cause: Acute respiratory distress syndrome
Conditions leading to the cause: Pneumonia, COVID-19
4. Co-morbidities
There is increasing evidence that people with existing chronic conditions or compromised immune systems due to disability are at greater risk of death due to COVID-19. Chronic conditions may be non-communicable diseases such as coronary artery disease, COPD, and diabetes or disabilities. If the decedent had existing chronic conditions, such as those listed above, these should be listed in Part II of the medical certificate of cause of death.
Example:
Other significant conditions contributing to death but not related to the disease or conditions causing it:
Coronary artery disease
Type 2 diabetes
COPD
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https://ipac-canada.org/coronavirus-resources.php
A probable or confirmed COVID-19 case whose death resulted from a clinically compatible illness, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death identified (e.g., trauma, poisoning, drug overdose).
A Medical Officer of Health, relevant public health authority, or coroner may use their discretion when determining if a death was due to COVID-19, and their judgement will supersede the above-mentioned criteria.
A death due to COVID-19 may be attributed when COVID-19 is the cause of death or is a contributing factor.
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Last updated: March 3, 2022
A probable or confirmed COVID-19 case whose death resulted from a clinically compatible illness, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death identified (e.g., trauma, poisoning, drug overdose).
A Medical Officer of Health, relevant public health authority, or coroner may use their discretion when determining if a death was due to COVID-19, and their judgement will supersede the above-mentioned criteria.
A death due to COVID-19 may be attributed when COVID-19 is the cause of death or is a contributing factor.
U07.1 COVID-19, virus identified
U07.2 COVID-19, virus not identified
U07.3 Multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19
U07.4 Post COVID-19 condition as diagnosis type (3)/other problem
U07.5 Personal history of COVID-19 as diagnosis type (3)/other problem
Previous versions of the COVID-19 case definition are available upon request. Please email COVID19Surveillance@canada.ca to request a copy or for more information.
Being able to tell the difference between whether a person has died from COVID-19 or a separate cause while infected with the virus is important in understanding the overall trajectory of the pandemic, said Omar Khan, a professor of biomedical engineering and immunology at the University of Toronto. The key lies in identifying the impact of underlying conditions on overall health, he said.
The World Health Organization defines death due to COVID-19 as a death that results from a “clinically compatible illness, in a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID disease.” International guidelines for reporting COVID-19 as a cause of death require the virus to have caused or be assumed to have contributed to death.
Deaths due to COVID-19, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), are those for which the virus is the underlying cause of death, or the disease that initiated the series of events leading directly to a person’s death. For pre-existing conditions that are believed to increase a person’s risk of severe COVID-19 resulting in death, it should be counted as a death due to COVID-19, PHAC says. However, in situations where death was deemed to be caused by another disease but still influenced by the virus, “COVID-19 should still be recorded on the medical certificates of cause of death, but would not be considered a death due to COVID-19,” reads PHAC’s website.
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-is-changing-how-it-reports-covid-19-deaths-1.5812306
Published March 9, 2022
Ontario is changing how it reports COVID-19 deaths beginning on Friday in an effort to more accurately reflect fatalities tied to the virus.
Starting March 11, the province will start breaking down deaths into three categories: whether COVID-19 contributed to a death, whether COVID-19 caused a death, or if the cause of death is unknown or missing from provincial data.
The Ministry of Health detailed the changes in a document released on Wednesday — the same day Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health announced the province is dropping its mask mandate later this month.
According to provincial data, as of March 6, about 84 per cent of COVID-19 deaths were either caused by the virus or it was a contributing factor, while 4.2 per cent of fatalities in people with COVID-19 were unrelated to the virus.
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15 February
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60380317