“From a public health perspective, I have no reason to doubt these numbers,” Adams told CNN’s “State of the Union” newspaper, Jake Tapper, when asked about Trump’s claim.
“And I think people need to be well aware that it is not just about deaths, as we said earlier,” he added. “It’s about hospitalizations, capacity. These cases are having an impact in a number of ways and people need to understand that there is a finish line in sight, but we have to keep running towards it.”
“‘When in doubt, call him Covid,'” Trump wrote in a tweet.
The president previously retweeted conspiracy theories on social media, saying that only a small percentage of people who reported having died of coronavirus actually died of the virus.
“In 94% of deaths with COVID-19, other conditions are listed in addition to COVID-19. These causes may include chronic illnesses like diabetes or hypertension,” said Bob Anderson, head of mortality statistics at the CDC, in a statement in A Hour.
“In 6% of death certificates that list Covid-19, only one cause or condition is listed,” added the statement. “The basic cause of death is the condition that started the chain of events that ended up leading to the person’s death. In 92% of all deaths that mention Covid-19, Covid-19 is listed as the basic cause of death . ”
This story is emerging and will be updated.