Volume 30, Number 7—July 2024
Research
COVID-19 Death Determination Methods, Minnesota, USA, 2020–20221
Lydia J. Fess
, Ashley Fell, Siobhan O’Toole, Paige D’Heilly, Stacy Holzbauer, Leslie Kollmann, Amanda Markelz, Keeley Morris, Abbey Ruhland, Scott Seys, Elizabeth Schiffman, Haley Wienkes, Zachary Zirnhelt, Stephanie Meyer, and Kathryn Como-Sabetti
, Ashley Fell, Siobhan O’Toole, Paige D’Heilly, Stacy Holzbauer, Leslie Kollmann, Amanda Markelz, Keeley Morris, Abbey Ruhland, Scott Seys, Elizabeth Schiffman, Haley Wienkes, Zachary Zirnhelt, Stephanie Meyer, and Kathryn Como-Sabetti
Table 1
Patient demographic and disease history characteristics for COVID-19 deaths determined by using the Minnesota Department of Health case definition of COVID-19 mortality, March 19, 2020–December 31, 2022*
| Patient characteristic | Total | Confirmed COVID-19 deaths | Ruled-out COVID-19 deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | |||
| M | 7,518 (53.7) | 7,336 (54.0) | 182 (44.1) |
| F |
6,486 (46.3) |
6,255 (46.0) |
231 (55.9) |
| Age, y | |||
| 0–17 | 19 (0.14) | 14 (0.10) | 5 (1.2) |
| 18–49 | 561 (4.0) | 529 (3.9) | 32 (7.8) |
| 50–59 | 920 (6.6) | 903 (6.6) | 17 (4.1) |
| 60–69 | 1,921 (13.7) | 1,883 (13.9) | 38 (9.2) |
| 70–79 | 3,176 (22.7) | 3,098 (22.8) | 78 (18.9) |
| >80 |
7,407 (52.9) |
7,164 (52.7) |
243 (58.8) |
| Race/ethnicity | |||
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 241 (1.7) | 232 (1.7) | 9 (2.2) |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 517 (3.7) | 512 (3.8) | 5 (1.2) |
| Black/African American | 686 (4.9) | 668 (4.9) | 18 (4.4) |
| Hispanic | 353 (2.5) | 341 (2.5) | 12 (2.9) |
| Multiracial | 62 (0.44) | 60 (0.4) | 2 (0.48) |
| Other or unknown | 22 (0.16) | 21 (0.2) | 1 (0.24) |
| White non-Hispanic |
12,123 (86.6) |
11,757 (86.5) |
366 (88.6) |
| Minnesota region | |||
| Greater Minnesota | 6,665 (47.6) | 6,501 (47.8) | 164 (39.7) |
| Minneapolis and Saint Paul metropolitan area |
7,339 (52.4) |
7,090 (52.2) |
249 (60.3) |
| Living setting | |||
| Private residence | 7,018 (50.1) | 6,880 (50.6) | 138 (33.4) |
| Long-term care | 6,916 (49.4) | 6,645 (48.9) | 271 (65.6) |
| Other† |
70 (0.50) |
66 (0.5) |
4 (0.97) |
| Location of death | |||
| Hospital inpatient | 6,827 (48.8) | 6,748 (49.7) | 79 (19.1) |
| Congregate living | 5,497 (39.3) | 5,245 (38.6) | 252 (61.0) |
| Other‡ |
1,680 (12.0) |
1,598 (11.8) |
82 (19.9) |
| Hospitalization history | |||
| Hospitalized | 8,860 (63.3) | 8,657 (63.7) | 203 (49.2) |
| No/unknown |
5,144 (36.7) |
4,934 (36.3) |
210 (50.9) |
| Autopsy status | |||
| Yes | 343 (2.5) | 343 (2.5) | 0 |
| No/unknown |
13,661 (97.6) |
13,248 (97.5) |
413 (100.0) |
| Variant era | |||
| Pre-Alpha | 6,853 (48.9) | 6,697 (49.3) | 156 (37.8) |
| Alpha | 857 (6.1) | 778 (5.7) | 79 (19.1) |
| Delta | 2,851 (20.4) | 2,799 (20.6) | 52 (12.6) |
| Omicron BA.1 | 1,785 (12.8) | 1,754 (12.9) | 31 (7.5) |
| Omicron BA.2 | 335 (2.4) | 314 (2.3) | 21 (5.1) |
| Omicron BA.4/BA.5 |
1,323 (9.5) |
1,249 (9.2) |
74 (17.9) |
| Underlying conditions status | |||
| Yes | 13,300 (95.0) | 12,921 (95.1) | 379 (91.8) |
| No | 192 (1.4) | 188 (1.4) | 4 (1.0) |
| Unknown |
512 (3.7) |
482 (3.6) |
30 (7.3) |
| Median onset date to death (days, IQR) |
15.0 (8.0–27.0) |
14.0 (8.0–25.0) |
82.0 (30.0–185.0) |
| Total | 14,004 | 13,591 (97.1) | 413 (3.0) |
*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. IQR, interquartile range.†Other includes sheltered and unsheltered homeless, jail/prison, dormitories, and other settings. ‡Other includes decedents who died at home, in the emergency department, or in other settings, such as at another private residence.
1Preliminary results from this analysis were presented at the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists annual conference; 2023 Jun 25–29; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Page created: June 06, 2024
Page updated: June 22, 2024
Page reviewed: June 22, 2024
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.