Coronavirus-related deaths in Washington state likely being underreported, officials say - Fox News

Deaths linked to the novel coronavirus are likely being underreported in Washington, say health officials in the Evergreen State.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, officials with the Washington State Department of Health expressed difficulty in adequately tracking the number of COVID-19-related deaths.

Katie Hutchison, the health statistics manager for the Washington State Department of Health, said, according to KOMO News. .

Additionally, also not currently included in the state’s COVID-19 death count are roughly 3,000 deaths “where the person’s death certificate indicated symptoms similar to COVID-19, but it’s not clear if COVID-19 actually played a role in the person’s death,” Hutchinson said, as per the news outlet.

Speculation that coronavirus-related deaths are possibly being underreported in the state falls in line with similar concerns in other areas of the country.

Earlier this month, for instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the coronavirus-associated death count in New York City may be much higher than previously reported, with some 5,000 deaths possibly missing from official numbers.