In a ICD-10 code, billing / death code for hospitals, each code has a descriptor. U07.1 is a newly created code under the category "Codes for special purposes" fro COVID-19 for some reason. H1N1, Bird Flu, latest diseases simply had a sub code under J00-J98, B25-B34 Section for Viral Diseases. COVID already has a code set B34.2 [Coronavirus infection, unspecified]. All that was needed was to make a B34.3 COVID19.
With making the U07.1 code, they got to add a new descriptor which reads "Deaths with confirmed or presumed COVID-19, coded to ICD–10 code U07.1". So why does this matter? Well we don't do this type of descriptor unless we are combining codes to create a new research category, take Firearm Deaths as example.
There is no ICD-10 code for Firearm deaths, but there are multiple codes in multiple sections of ICD-10 that make up Firearm Deaths:
U01.4, W32, W33, W34, X72, X73, X74, X93, X94, X95, Y22, Y23, Y24, Y35.0
By making the U07.1 with that descriptor allows for ANY ailment + testing positive for COVID be a COVID-19 death. Example; I come into hospital with gunshot wound of self infliction, I am bleeding out at the hospital, they take my blood, patch me up, but i still die and my test for covid-19 comes up positive a few days later, I am entered into the system as U07.1 instead of X72.
Thats a HUGE deal and never in my data mining time, ever seen that from CDC specifically. CDC is usually very good and allows 3rd party archive extracts from their databases for studies.
Nothing on CDC about it anywhere in the data the are reporting. And unfortunately until next Feb'ish no1 will be able to do a proper raw data extract as their archive is always 1 year behind for proper and finalization of submission codes to go into archive.
I regularly data mine and create data packs from CDC for personal research and submit to my congressmen
In a ICD-10 code, billing / death code for hospitals, each code has a descriptor. U07.1 is a newly created code under the category "Codes for special purposes" fro COVID-19 for some reason. H1N1, Bird Flu, latest diseases simply had a sub code under J00-J98, B25-B34 Section for Viral Diseases. COVID already has a code set B34.2 [Coronavirus infection, unspecified]. All that was needed was to make a B34.3 COVID19.
With making the U07.1 code, they got to add a new descriptor which reads "Deaths with confirmed or presumed COVID-19, coded to ICD–10 code U07.1". So why does this matter? Well we don't do this type of descriptor unless we are combining codes to create a new research category, take Firearm Deaths as example.
There is no ICD-10 code for Firearm deaths, but there are multiple codes in multiple sections of ICD-10 that make up Firearm Deaths: U01.4, W32, W33, W34, X72, X73, X74, X93, X94, X95, Y22, Y23, Y24, Y35.0
By making the U07.1 with that descriptor allows for ANY ailment + testing positive for COVID be a COVID-19 death. Example; I come into hospital with gunshot wound of self infliction, I am bleeding out at the hospital, they take my blood, patch me up, but i still die and my test for covid-19 comes up positive a few days later, I am entered into the system as U07.1 instead of X72.
Thats a HUGE deal and never in my data mining time, ever seen that from CDC specifically. CDC is usually very good and allows 3rd party archive extracts from their databases for studies.
You can see this small print in Table 2 of this link - https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/
Nothing on CDC about it anywhere in the data the are reporting. And unfortunately until next Feb'ish no1 will be able to do a proper raw data extract as their archive is always 1 year behind for proper and finalization of submission codes to go into archive.
I regularly data mine and create data packs from CDC for personal research and submit to my congressmen