The U.S. government overcounts COVID-19 hospitalizations, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say, but the agency suggested it does not overcount deaths.
COVID-19 hospitalizations listed on the CDC’s data tracker webpage, which is utilized by a wide variety of health officials, journalists, and others, include three types of hospitalizations, the CDC said in a statement on Jan. 27.
The types are because of COVID-19, because of a non-COVID condition “that was likely made worse” by COVID-19, and because of non-COVID reasons but after testing positive for COVID-19. The latter is known as an incidental hospitalization.
Experts are increasingly warning against putting forth numbers that include incidental hospitalizations, or hospitalization “with” COVID-19 as opposed to “for” COVID-19. They say that separating the incidental hospitalizations will improve the accuracy of numbers and help the public better understand the current state of the pandemic….