A recent study conducted by a national team, including University of Minnesota sociologist and demographer Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, has shed light on a potential undercount of COVID-19 deaths in the United States during the first 30 months of the pandemic. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team's findings indicated that out of the 1.2 million excess deaths recorded from March 2020 to August 2022, most were attributed to COVID. However, approximately 163,000 deaths were not directly linked to the virus but may have been pandemic-related due to correlations with virus surges.

Wrigley-Field emphasized the significance of accurately reporting deaths during a pandemic, mentioning that many deaths occurring at the onset of a surge may not have been recognized as COVID-related because testing for the virus was not routinely conducted, especially for those who passed away at home. The study revealed that the largest undercounts were observed in the southern and western United States, particularly in counties outside of metropolitan areas, highlighting the decentralized nature of the U.S. death reporting system.

On the other hand, the researchers also noted that COVID fatalities reported in the northeastern United States exceeded estimates of naturally caused excess deaths. Wrigley-Field suggested that effective data collection on causes of death is crucial for saving lives during a health crisis like a pandemic, emphasizing the need for improved cause of death reporting systems in the United States.

The study's findings provide valuable insights into the potential discrepancies in official COVID-19 death statistics and highlight the importance of accurate and timely reporting to better understand the true impact of the virus on public health.