I think I’ve figured out COVID death discrepancy. Was looking at how states are compiling the death data that they release, and it’s crazier than one could imagine. [Thread]

Looked at 3 large states, but the figures they release of deaths are collected from hospitals!

The death figures you hear only counts people who died while COVID positive when admitted in a hospital!

Someone never admitted to hospital - not counted.

Someone released after being negative and dying due to post COVID complications - not counted.

Someone even dying outside the hospital, pleading for a bed - not counted!

The data is assuming COVID deaths is only COVID patients dying in a hospital, which is obviously going to lead to a massive undercounting of COVID deaths.

There is a source of the real numbers though...

All shamshans are maintaining the record of cremations done with COVID protocol. This data is not being digitised or compiled. It exists in physical registers at shamshans.

Some reporters have done stories using this data, but a national accounting needs to happen.

Also, Muslims would also be dying, and there would likely be a record at kabristans, but I haven’t been able to verify that.

The accurate accounting of deaths NEEDS to happen! The first part was figuring out where the under reporting is happening...

I believe more than anyone fudging data, it is this practice of only reporting hospital deaths that’s leading to such massive under reporting.

There would also be many who are dying without getting tested, but sadly that would be nearly impossible to capture.

The least we can do though, is count the ones who died outside hospitals - which is a massive number!

I believe this is how the huge underreporting is taking place. Next step is to figure out how to get the real numbers from all the shamshans and kabristans in the country.

Anyone have any insights on this, please do let me know. DM’s also open.

If any journalist / organisation is already working on this, please also let me know.