August 12, 2020: In 43 states where data is available, 44% of COVID deaths are reported to have been among nursing home residents. However, the true number may be higher. The Associated Press reports that states are not reporting the numbers in a consistent manner.[1]

New York state, in particular, is cited for probably understating nursing home deaths. The AP report notes one facility in the Bronx where 21 people died in a 146-bed facility. However, the official data reports only 4 deaths from that nursing home. The discrepancy is tied to the fact that when a nursing home patient is transferred to a hospital and dies there, the death is counted as a hospital death.[1]

For a sense of scale, New York has officially reported 6,600 nursing home deaths. The AP report suggests the actual number could be approximately 11,000.[1]

Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.

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