Posted on: April 05, 2020 05:00 PM

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From CDC Website Lab Tests Not Required

From CDC Website: Hospitals to List COVID-19 as Cause of Death Even if It's "Assumed to Have Caused Or Contributed to Death" - Lab Tests Not Required
Official CDC under government guidance for coding COVID-related deaths is as follows: any death where the disease ?caused or is *assumed* to have caused or *contributed to* death.? Confirmed lab tests are not required. Details at
https://www.cdc.gov/?/Alert-2-New-ICD-code-introduced-for-C?
A new ICD code was established to keep track of Coronavirus deaths. The U07.1 code will be used for death by Coronavirus infection. However, there?s another secondary code, U07.2, ?for clinical or epidemiological diagnosis of COVID-19 where a laboratory confirmation is inconclusive or not available,? the CDC guidelines read. ?Because laboratory test results are not typically reported on death certificates in the U.S., NCHS is not planning to implement U07.2 for mortality statistics.?
?The underlying cause depends upon what and where conditions are reported on the death certificate. However, the rules for coding and selection of the underlying cause of death are expected to result in COVID- 19 being the underlying cause more often than not,? the guidelines read.
?COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate for all decedents where the disease caused or is assumed to have caused or contributed to death,? CDC guidelines issued March 24 read. ?Certifiers should include as much detail as possible based on their knowledge of the case, medical records, laboratory testing, etc.,? the guidance continued.
?If the decedent had other chronic conditions such as COPD or asthma that may have also contributed, these conditions can be reported in Part II.?