On March 25, 2020 [US 24th] the WHO released new ICD-10 codes for COVID-19:

    • U07.1 for lab confirmed virus
    • U07.2 for suspected or probable virus.

The same day, March 24, 2020 for the US, the CDC sent out Alert 2: New ICD code introduced for COVID-19 deaths, a follow-up from their Alert 1 on March 4, 2020.  This ICD document coached US doctors on how the ICD-10 code  would be used.

If a decedent’s death certificate was marked probably or suspected COVID-19, any uncertainty will automatically be deemed COVID-19 and they stated “it is not likely that NCHS will follow up on these cases”.

Thus the US would not use both international ICD-10 codes, their system would default to only U07.1!

WATCH @56:30, as Dr Jensen comments on this the US Death Certificates, plus the incentivising of hospitals to:

  • Influenza pneumonia – $5,000
  • COVID-19 pneumonia – $13,000
  • Ventilated – $39,000
  • [ed patients on remdesivir – 20% bonus on whole hospital bill]

How could this play out:

  1. Use PCR to test all patients admitted to hospital.
  2. Labs use PCR cycles amplification up to Ct of 45, thus providing a positive COVID-19 diagnosis
  3. Patients get treated using NIH protocol, with is remdesivir and ventilate
  4. Patient has a high chance of dying
  5. Doctor marks death certificate with confirmed or probable death by COVID-19, either way the system will default to COVID-19
  6. The hospital is awarded accordingly for COVID-19 treatment

US Department of health sent doctors a 7 page document on to coach doctors on how to fill in a death certificate!

WHO holds the copyright for IDC codes