I have investigated further how Germany records Covid-19 deaths and concluded its methodology does NOT explain lower level of German Covid-19 fatalities. In previous tweets I suggested international comparisons eg with UK, might not be comparing apples with apples. But we are.
The Robert Koch Institute, responsible for the official recording of deaths in Germany, says it “considers someone to be a corona death in which a corona infection was proven.” In practice this means the RKI counts as corona deaths ALL deaths associated with Covid-19.
Includes all who died from Covid-19. But also all those with underlying health problems infected by Covid-19 but for whom it’s not possible to say what killed them. Finally, those not tested before death but suspected of Covid-19 are tested post-death. Infected = Covid-19 death
So RKI method counts anyone infected with Covid-19 who dies as a Covid-19 death regardless of whether the virus killed them directly or from underlying severe illness made worse by the virus.
That is pretty much how deaths are counted in the UK. So we are comparing apples with apples. There are reasons for the lower German death toll, including, probably, extensive testing. But different methodology is not an explanation.
