The term “Only 6 percent” trended widely on Twitter over the weekend as supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory promoted tweets that falsely suggested the CDC had updated its records to show that only 6% of U.S. deaths tied to COVID-19 were legitimate. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/09/01/cdc-has-not-reduced-the-death-count-related-to-covid19

The CDC data table is based on an analysis of death certificates that mention COVID-19 as a cause. As of Aug. 26, the CDC said, there were 161,332 deaths where COVID-19 was listed on the death certificate.

Social media users over the weekend posted an older screenshot of the data that showed 153,504 deaths. The posts used the 6 percent figure to claim the U.S. death toll was much lower — 9,210.

Such claims misrepresent the data. A death isn’t excluded from the COVID-19 tally just because the person was obese or had diabetes or dementia. Someone with heart problems can still be killed by COVID-19, and the death certificate could mention both as contributing.

“The underlying cause of death is the condition that began the chain of events that ultimately led to the person’s death," says doc who oversees CDC’s death statistics work. “In 92 percent of all deaths that mention COVID-19, COVID-19 is listed as the underlying cause of death."