TDHS Changing Method For Reporting COVID Fatalities

The Texas Department of State Health Services will now report fatalities due to COVID-19 by identifying them through the cause of death listed on death certificates. New guidelines state that a casualty is COVID-19 when the medical certifier determines COVID-19 directly caused the death. A medical certifier is a doctor with direct patient knowledge who determines COVID-19 directly caused the death. This method does not include deaths of people who had COVID-19 but died of an unrelated cause.