Public Health Report Examines King County Coronavirus Deaths

SEATTLE, WA — While the number of deaths resulting from COVID-19 illnesses has dropped substantially since the first peak of the outbreak in April, the disease still ranks as the sixth leading cause of all deaths in King County this year, according to a new public health report. In March and early April, the illness ranked third. In recent weeks, it has dropped to eighth.

The findings are part of an analysis of deaths associated with COVID-19 in King County published this week, which also examined official death counts for potential underreporting or overreporting.

"This report gives us confidence that our official death counts are not missing large numbers of people who have died from COVID-19," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for King County. "And it highlights that although the COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities that led to many deaths among older residents have decreased in response to effective COVID-1 prevention measures, the threat remains. This summer's increases in COVID-19 cases in the community remind us that we cannot let our guard down."

The report did not find evidence of unidentified COVID-19 deaths before the first case identified in late February, nor a large number of potential COVID-19 deaths that went unrecognized in the official data.

Key findings from Public Health - Seattle & King County:

Through September 1, there have been 724 deaths attributed to COVID-19, with 680 of those confirmed and another 44 that are suspected or pending. In March, the report finds COVID-19 ranked as the third most documented contributing cause of death in the county, but in recent weeks, it has fallen to the number eight cause.

• More than 90% of those who have died from COVID-19 were over age 60 (and the median age of death over the past six months has remained around 81 years).
• More than 80% of those who have died from COVID-19 had an underlying medical condition.
• Among racial/ethnic groups, more White people have died from COVID-19 than from any other race. But the age-adjusted rate of death shows a dramatic impact among Hispanic/Latinx residents, at 84 per 100,000 residents – three times higher than for Whites, at 28 per 100,000. And for Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, the death rate is more than four times higher than for Whites, at 121 per 100,000.

To determine whether there had been a significant amount of underreported deaths, public health officials analyzed the number of total deaths this year, compared with a recent year before the pandemic. They found 817 more deaths between Jan. 1 and Aug. 18. Over the same period, the official count of confirmed, suspected and positive COVID-1 deaths was 692. Accounting for statistical variations, researchers found there did not appear to be a large number of potential deaths that went uncounted.

What counts as a COVID-19 death in King County?

Since the pandemic began, public health officials in King County and elsewhere have worked to develop a methodology to best reflect the number of deaths linked to COVID-19. No national standard exists, and classification can vary between counties and states.

Early counts often included everyone who died that previously tested positive for COVID-19, which can fail to account for those who were never tested, and improperly include people who died from unrelated reasons, like a car crash. In King County, such cases are removed.

From Public Health - Seattle & King County:

In July, Public Health, along with the Washington State Department of Health, classified deaths associated with COVID-19 into three main categories. A total of 724 deaths fall into these categories:

• 94% (680) are confirmed (the deceased person tested positive and had a death certificate noting infection with the virus contributed to death)
• 5% (37) are suspected (the deceased person tested positive for the virus, died of a natural disease that may have been exacerbated by COVID-19, but did not have it listed on their death certificate)
• 1% (7) are pending (deaths where Public Health is awaiting death certificates or the cause of death is missing, but the deceased person did have confirmatory testing for COVID-19)

According to public health, 17 deaths where COVID-19 was listed on the death certificate, but the person was never tested, were not included. The King County Medical Examiner's Office has also ramped up testing in recent months, now testing about 90 percent of all people who died for the presence of the virus.

For current data about COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations and cases, visit the county's online dashboard.