The Alabama Department of Public Health, after investigations into causes of death, has confirmed 13 COVID-19 deaths in the state. The department reported the deaths Tuesday morning.
Three deaths have been confirmed in Chambers County, two in Lee, two in Shelby, one in Jackson, one in Lauderdale, one in Mobile, one in Madison, one in Montgomery and one in Tallapoosa.
The department will continue investigating deaths to determine the primary cause of death.
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East Alabama Medical Center over the weekend and on Monday reported seven deaths, including five in Chambers County and two in Lee County. Most of those, but not all, appear to have been confirmed by the state health department.
“In public health, we have to all make sure that we’re counting things the same way from state to state and we have fairly precise processes and definitions so that we all make sure that we are counting the same things,” state health officer Scott Harris said last week when asked about the state’s process for reporting deaths.
People might sometimes die from acute respiratory distress or cardiac arrest, but the primary cause of death must be determined before the state will report the death.
“It does take a little bit of time to review medical records to talk to people who were caring for that patient,” Harris said.
