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QUESTION ON NOTICE

Question:

22 February 2022

My question below refers to the figures contained within the report released on 15/02/2022 – https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/covid-19-mortality-australia . Of the 2639 people that have died with or from Covid-19 by 31st of Jan 2022, why have the ABS stated that 2,556 (approximately 97%) have been directly caused by Covid? Is this not a misleading statement given that in the same report it is stated that 91.4% of the deaths in Australia had another condition listed on the death certificate, with an average of 2.7 other conditions being listed including cancer (14.1%) and chronic cardiac conditions (35.8%).

Answer:

Question Number: 47
PDR Number: AET047
Date Submitted: 22/02/2022
Department or Body: Treasury

The ABS report explains that Australian cause of death data is coded to an international classification governed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The ABS report notes that a death directly due to COVID-19 is defined by the WHO as a death resulting from a clinically compatible illness, in a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID disease (e.g. trauma). COVID-19 was identified as the underlying condition which led to death in the 2,556 deaths referenced in the article.

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