CDC Data Suggests MI Coronavirus Death Count Could Be Higher

MICHIGAN — The number of reported coronavirus deaths in Michigan could be much lower than the actual number, recently released data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests.

The number of people in Michigan who died from the new coronavirus between March 8 and April 11 was 121 percent higher than the average for the last five years, according to the CDC data. A New York Times analysis of the CDC data suggested that an abnormal number of people in Michigan have died since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Michigan currently ranks third in the nation for reported coronavirus deaths, with 3,567 as of Tuesday.

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There were 2,000 excess deaths in Michigan between March 8 and April 11, well above the 1,391 coronavirus deaths reported during that time, the New York Times reported.

Concern over the accuracy of coronavirus death numbers has existed since the pandemic began. The Washington Post earlier this month reported that some of the concern surrounded the widespread lack of available testing.

In Michigan, which releases its coronavirus death toll daily at 3 p.m., Governor Gretchen Whitmer has said numerous times that she intends to push for expanded testing for similar reasons.

Across the state, expanded testing has begun at the state and county levels. Drive-thru testing with expanded criteria has been launched at multiple sites in Oakland and Wayne counties, among other Michigan communities.