A coronial investigation is under way into the cause of death of a COVID-19-positive Victorian man in his 20s widely reported to be the youngest Australian to succumb to the virus.
The review into the man's cause of death has raised important questions about how Australia classifies coronavirus fatalities and comes as 113 new infections were recorded in Victoria in the past day.The state's death toll climbed to 496, with 12 more deaths, all linked to aged care outbreaks.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, could be the major cause of death, a contributory factor or simply an infection present when a person dies of another medical condition. "In the short term, I think what they are doing in Australia is entirely sensible because we need clear and immediate surveillance on the number and age of people dying with the virus," Professor Collignon said.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the state and federal governments were moving towards standardising how they classified deaths to ensure data aligned.At the moment, if a case is notified as having died of other or unknown causes, but was coronavirus positive at the time of death, it is not included in federal government statistics.
"We do know that coronavirus is a very significant illness in the population and it is not unreasonable to classify those deaths as deaths from coronavirus when we understand that that wouldn't happen in a normal week," he said. There are cases in Australia where people have died with no known health conditions. In another case, 30-year-old Queensland man Nathan Turner, who had underlying health conditions, was wrongly reported as Australia's youngest coronavirus victim in May.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Victoria records another 23 coronavirus deaths and 113 new infectionsBREAKING Another 23 Victorians have died from COVID-19, as the state records 113 new infections.
Read more »
Victoria's virus response branded 'slow car crash'Premier Daniel Andrews has reportedly backed down on his plan to extend Victoria's State of Emergency for 12 months, agreeing to a much shorter period.
Read more »
‘Slow car crash’: Doctors blast AndrewsThe Victorian government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis has been branded a “slow car crash” by the state’s top medical experts.
Read more »
Dan Andrews’ brutal PM sledgeVictorian Premier Dan Andrews has sledged the Prime Minister’s threat to tear up the state’s agreements with China by sharply observing he’s more focused on fighting COVID-19.
Read more »
Coronavirus LIVE updates: Victoria reports 12 deaths, 113 new cases as hotel quarantine inquiry resumes; Sydney school closures; Australian death toll jumps to 572The COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge Australia as Victoria moves towards the end of the fourth week of stage four lockdown.
Read more »