Officials within the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) on Wednesday reconciled positive coronavirus cases and deaths throughout the state.
After the updated numbers, the department revealed the total number of deaths related to the virus from Spring 2020 to December 2021 is 20,644 individuals.
The updated numbers revealed approximately 2,700 more deaths than initially reported.
“Year-end data reconciliation is an important step to ensure the public has an accurate view of how COVID-19 has affected our state this year and also identify areas where the department can improve services,” said Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey. “Data reporting for COVID-19 is unique, as it is the only infectious disease where real-time progression is tracked from positive test to death, compared to typical monthly or annual reports.”
According to Commissioner Lisa Piercey, the updated numbers and review should instill trust in the department, as the process to report deaths is often complex.
“This enhanced review is a valuable process, and I’ve encouraged my colleagues in other states to do the same,” explained Piercey. “Trust in public health data is key to our response and data accuracy is a top priority for TDH.”
In addition to the number of deaths, the state agency detailed that 5,394,058 tests were processed, 762,964 positive cases confirmed, and 8,280,246 vaccine doses administered.
“COVID-19 death certificate processing is complex, and the department is committed to continuously improving information flow,” added Piercey. “As we continue to analyze Tennessee death data, we have seen a year-over-year increase in COVID deaths occurring at home. This is a trend we will further examine and assess how the department can respond.”
The release from TDH also announced that coronavirus death numbers will be updated on weekly basis at the beginning of 2022, a shift from the routine day-to-day numbers.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
