Death in Idaho, by the numbers

Significantly more people have died so far this year in Idaho than in the previous two years, according to data issued Oct. 30 by the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.

Idaho State Rep. Paul Amador said he requested the data from the state to answer questions and address concerns from constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You have to make your decisions based upon data,” he said.

Amador said he hoped hard data would help determine the validity of several common assertions, such as that total deaths in Idaho are down compared to previous years or that flu-related deaths have been reported as COVID-19 related.

Amador said he had no preconceived notions about what the data might show. But now, he said, it paints a clear picture of how COVID-19 is impacting Idaho.

“It provides a pretty clear indication that there’s a virus out there that is deadly and is causing more deaths in Idaho than we’ve seen over previous years,” he said.

How are COVID-19 deaths counted?

COVID-19 related deaths fall into three categories:

• Deaths in which COVID-19 was the underlying cause.
• Deaths in which COVID-19 was not the underlying cause but was reported on the death certificate as contributing to the person’s death.
• Deaths in which COVID-19 was reported on the death certificate, but the underlying cause of death is in the process of being coded for reporting purposes.

There is a lag between when death occurs and when the death certificate is completed, submitted to be processed for the underlying cause of death and returned for reporting purposes.

Approximately 1.6% of records from January through October 2020 are pending the underlying cause of death.

As of Oct. 30, 651 COVID-19 related deaths were reported in Idaho. This number includes non-residents who died in Idaho.

COVID-19 was reported as the underlying cause of 539 of those deaths and a contributing factor in 47 others. The underlying cause of death is in the process of being coded in the remaining 65 cases.

Total deaths are up

In 2019, a total of 14,338 people died in Idaho. The year before, 14,169 people died. Deaths occurring in Idaho may be to residents or non-residents.

So far this year, 12,603 people have died in Idaho — 6.7% more than at this point in 2018 and 5.8% more than in 2019.

However, not all death certificates for deaths occurring in October 2020 have been filed with the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. Therefore, the number of deaths in October 2020 is underreported.

The total number of deaths per month in Idaho in 2020 were on par with the death totals for the previous two years — until June, when deaths began to spike.

About 25% more deaths occurred in Idaho in July 2020 than in July 2019 — that’s 279 more people, 127 of which were related to COVID-19.

In August, 28% more people died than in August 2019. There were 325 total deaths, 178 of which were COVID-19 related.

Though fewer people died in Idaho in September 2020 than in the previous two months — 1,362 in total, compared to 1,372 in July and 1,469 in August — there were 18% more deaths than in September 2019.

Flu deaths similar to past years

Idaho has had one death related to the flu since April.

This is on par with previous years. Between April and October 2018, Idaho had six flu-related deaths. Three flu-related deaths were reported during that period in 2019.

In the past three years, most flu-related deaths occurred between January and March — 57 during that three-month period in 2018, 43 in 2019 and 25 in 2020.

Deaths due to respiratory illness

The number of respiratory disease deaths in Idaho, excluding COVID-19, are also similar to previous years. Respiratory diseases include influenza and pneumonia, as well as chronic lower respiratory diseases, adult respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure, respiratory arrest and other diseases of the respiratory system.

A total of 1,217 people in Idaho died due to respiratory diseases between January and October 2018, while 1,320 people died during that period in 2019.

So far in 2020, a total of 1,102 people in Idaho have died due to respiratory diseases other than COVID-19.

What does it all mean?

Amador said the pandemic’s impact on Idaho may not be fully understood until two years from now.

“We’re learning as we go,” he said.

Still, he noted that the data collected so far can help shed light on issues impacting Idahoans.

As the pandemic wears on, Amador emphasized the importance of continuing to take precautions that help slow the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks, frequent hand washing and maintaining physical distance from others.

“It’s difficult for all of us because we’re all so fatigued by the coronavirus,” Amador said. “But it doesn’t get tired of us.”