> We look at death certificates that have pneumonia or influenza causes (P&I), other respiratory and circulatory causes (R&C), or other non-respiratory, non-circulatory causes of death, because deaths related to influenza may not have influenza listed as a cause of death.
Those numbers are used to give estimates. So if the people you know that died of pneumonia (I'm sorry) had that listed on their death certificates, it is likely they were counted as influenza deaths; if not directly by test results then by their death certificates.
I agree with the rest of your comment, however. What was particularly frustrating for me was at the beginning of this pandemic; people were looking at the numbers and saying, "oh only x thousand deaths? That's less than a flu season!" (where x is less than 60) Of course they didn't mention that ~60,000 deaths is the worst flu season in the US, and other seasons see way less numbers than that; and they didn't mention that that's 60,000 deaths in a year. We're now at 183K deaths from covid so far. And the end isn't even in view..
This part specifically covers your question:
> We look at death certificates that have pneumonia or influenza causes (P&I), other respiratory and circulatory causes (R&C), or other non-respiratory, non-circulatory causes of death, because deaths related to influenza may not have influenza listed as a cause of death.
Those numbers are used to give estimates. So if the people you know that died of pneumonia (I'm sorry) had that listed on their death certificates, it is likely they were counted as influenza deaths; if not directly by test results then by their death certificates.
I agree with the rest of your comment, however. What was particularly frustrating for me was at the beginning of this pandemic; people were looking at the numbers and saying, "oh only x thousand deaths? That's less than a flu season!" (where x is less than 60) Of course they didn't mention that ~60,000 deaths is the worst flu season in the US, and other seasons see way less numbers than that; and they didn't mention that that's 60,000 deaths in a year. We're now at 183K deaths from covid so far. And the end isn't even in view..