I actually followed up with you on this one recently. This is in fact what's happening, and it varies by country/region/city to what extent.
In some countries they absolutely do count anyone who dies while in the possession of COVID as a COVID death, for instance Italy. " Italy’s death rate might also be higher because of how fatalities are recorded. In Italy, all those who die in hospitals with Coronavirus are included in the death counts."
“On re-evaluation by the National Institute of Health, only 12 per cent of death certificates have shown a direct causality from coronavirus, while 88% patients who have died have at least one pre-morbidity – many had two or three.” [1]
In New York they're counting speculative COVID deaths of anyone with respiratory illness even if they've never tested positive [2].
"A subtler issue is what to do when the patient has other serious medical conditions. If the person suffered from chronic lung disease, then became infected with the virus and died of pneumonia, the immediate or primary cause would be pneumonia as a result of COVID-19. The lung disease would be listed as a contributing condition, said Sally S. Aiken, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners." [3]
The CDC has guidance on this but it's fair to say its interpretation will vary from place to place. "COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate for all decedents where the disease caused or is assumed to have caused or contributed to death" -- that's pretty broad. [4]
Sorry, Dan, this is looking like it's not the Ebola infection you're making it out to be.
You write this long post, but then finish with the CDC guidance which agree with what I said -- that doctors have to use be able to say to the best of their knowledge and experience that the deceased had covid-19 and that it caused death, or that it contributed to death.
The problem here is that you don't know what "COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate for all decedents where the disease caused or is assumed to have caused or contributed to death" means.
In some countries they absolutely do count anyone who dies while in the possession of COVID as a COVID death, for instance Italy. " Italy’s death rate might also be higher because of how fatalities are recorded. In Italy, all those who die in hospitals with Coronavirus are included in the death counts."
“On re-evaluation by the National Institute of Health, only 12 per cent of death certificates have shown a direct causality from coronavirus, while 88% patients who have died have at least one pre-morbidity – many had two or three.” [1]
In New York they're counting speculative COVID deaths of anyone with respiratory illness even if they've never tested positive [2].
"A subtler issue is what to do when the patient has other serious medical conditions. If the person suffered from chronic lung disease, then became infected with the virus and died of pneumonia, the immediate or primary cause would be pneumonia as a result of COVID-19. The lung disease would be listed as a contributing condition, said Sally S. Aiken, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners." [3]
The CDC has guidance on this but it's fair to say its interpretation will vary from place to place. "COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate for all decedents where the disease caused or is assumed to have caused or contributed to death" -- that's pretty broad. [4]
Sorry, Dan, this is looking like it's not the Ebola infection you're making it out to be.
[1] https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/global-covid-19-case-fatality-...
[2] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/15/coronavirus-new-york-city-st...
[3] https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-covi...
[4] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/coronavirus/Alert-2-New-I...