Caddo Coroner Analyzes Latest COVID Stats

Caddo Coroner Dr. Todd Thoma talks with 101.7 / 710 KEEL's Robert J Wright and Erin McCarty about the most recent Coronavirus statistics for the area.

Thoma also addresses reports claiming that in some parts of the country COVID 19 is being listed as the cause of death, even in seemingly unrelated situations. "Those are rumors," he says. "What's happening in a situation like this is that they allowed coroners across the whole country to make presumptions of COVID because testing wasn't available."

Pointing out that Coronavirus testing is now commonplace, the Doctor continues. "The ones they were making presumptions on are patients that fever, shortness of breath, flu-like symptoms and died at home and testing wasn't available. As a result, they were saying that all the symptoms were consistent with COVID and listed them as a presumed COVID death."

Emphasizing the recent statistics that show that hospitals across the nation have not been overwhelmed by Coronavirus patients, Thoma then explains some other recent findings pertaining to seemingly high numbers in the African-American community. "It's science, not a social factor. We know that this virus is very aggressive with high mortality rates among people with chronic medical conditions - diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, obesity - all kinds of issues that we normally see. If you look at the demographics, even before Coronavirus, those types of diseases are more prevalent in the African - American community. There are, needless to say, social factors associated with that, but the virus itself is not targeting African - Americans."

Thoma also reiterates substantial findings that the virus targets the elderly and infirm. "We've seen from the demographics that younger, healthy people are not really at risk," he says, "But those with mitigating facto0rs are going to have to continue to protect themselves because the virus is still going to be in the community."