Brooklyn Leads Hidden, Untested Coronavirus Deaths

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — A newly-updated novel coronavirus death count hints that Brooklyn could have a deep well of unseen cases living with and dying from the virus.

In a flash, New York City's official coronavirus death toll jumped by 3,778 after health officials this week started including city dwellers who died with a confirmed test.

And Brooklyn's hidden death toll sits atop other boroughs with 656 cases presumed to have died from coronavirus as of Monday.

Brooklyn's overall 2,525 coronavirus deaths still trail the 2,632 in Queens in a grim race no borough wants to win. The numbers could also fluctuate as officials sort through more deaths.

But they point toward a possibility health officials have long feared — many coronavirus cases and deaths are simply unreported.

Data shows Brooklyn so far had about 48,000 coronavirus tests, of which 58 percent tested positive. That's the second-most among city boroughs behind Queens.

So far so good, but a closer look at the numbers reveals potential problems.

The typical number of coronavirus tests by Brooklyn zip code is 1,373. That's the exact number of tests taken in the 11213 area code covering Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy — and a local coronavirus hot spot.

But those numbers lag behind the typical number of tests — 1,813 — for zip codes in the Bronx, a borough that has fewer cases that both Brooklyn and Queens.

In fact, zip codes in Queens — the epicenter of the city's coronavirus outbreak — typically had 785 tests.

A zip code in Staten Island — 10314 — had the most coronavirus tests citywide with 3,460, according to data.

Coronavirus testing rates, in other words, are literally all over the map. City and state officials have said accurate counts are important to know if they hope to reopen the city. And they're set up testing sites in mostly-minority areas across the city where people are most vulnerable.

Brooklynites can make appointments for a drive-through testing site in Flatbush by calling 888-364-3065.

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