Readme.md deaths #2600
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@TheRealSvc Can I ask specifically what part of the README you're referring to? I don't think there's any mention of limited testing capabilities on https://github.com/owid/covid-19-data/tree/master/public/data so I'm probably looking at the wrong document. @lucasrodes If needed, we can use the new sentence that we've started using on our charts recently, which better encompasses both underreporting and overreporting:
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For instance on the Landing page for deaths https://ourworldindata.org/covid-deaths |
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From reading the readme it appears there could be only a underreporting of deaths due to limited testing capabilities.
But certainly overreporting is possible if the distinction between "died due to corona" or "died with a positive test result but not caused by corona". Since Omicron is rather mild and at the same time very contagious, there are now many cases where C19 is only to be seen as a side diagnosis. E.g. Some german hospitals report that only 20% of ICU Covid patients were admitted to hospital due to C19. The other 80% are ICU patients who had to be moved to the C19 isolation station because of a positive Test result. Nevertheless (at least in germany) they would be counted as C19 deaths. There is also a big problem of consistency.
Proposal: Update the Readme part about the quality of reported deaths and mention the possibility of overreporting.
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