Date: Wed, 18 May 2022 04:55:04 +0000
Subject: Official Information request - Please provide the following information on covid deaths
From: DE Sheridan <
[FYI request #19393 email]>
To: OIA/LGOIMA requests at Ministry of Health <
[Ministry of Health request email]>
Dear Ministry of Health,
Re: Data related to determination of cause of death in people who have had covid
Given covid is an infection which can potentially target a variety of organ systems, and has been described as a super-antigen capable of initiating hyper-immune responses in various organ systems (which can tip people who were formerly stable over the edge), I seek information on how the determination of the cause of death is made (especially given the significant recent increase in assessments), and other related data.
Please do not give privacy as an excuse for secrecy over anonymised health data.
The following anonymised data is requested:
1. Patients hospitalised with covid, who are severely ill, can be hospitalised for more than 28 days.
Q1.1 What was the length of hospital stay (in 7 day brackets) for those who were hospitalised ( eg 104 in hospital 1-7 days; 23 in hospital 8-14 days etc)
Q1.2 How many people who were in hospital with covid for “more than 28 days” in New Zealand (up to 17 May) died?
Q1.3 In how many of these cases where the person was in hospital over 28 days, was covid considered the primary or contributing cause of death?
2. Re: Who determines cause of death in covid cases, and how is it done
Q2.1 How many people are involved in determining the cause of death of people who died who had been infected within 28 days (or longer) of a covid infection?
Q2.2 What are the qualifications and experience in determining causation - of each of those involved in this process?
Q2.3 Please indicate what method is used for this retrospective assessment of cause of death: eg medical file review etc
Q.2.4 Why was there such a significant increase in the number of cases reported as assessed today vs formerly (including a great increase in numbers where covid was not deemed a primary or contributing cause of death?)
3. Direction from the Ministry of Health or others in government or consultants - on the definitions and criteria to be used to include or exclude Covid as a primary or contributory cause of death
Q3.1 Has the individual or individuals making the assessment of cause of death received definitions, and/or guidelines from the Ministry of Health or anyone else on determining the cause of death?
Q3.2 Please provide copies of these definitions and guidelines (with dates, in the event there have been multiple instructions) which were provided to the individual or individuals determining the cause of death.
Q3.3 Please provide the name of the government official and department or consultant that provided this direction on definition and/or cause of death criteria.
4. Current death and vaccination status data suggest only the vaccinated have died (which surprised me). The govt seems to often change definitions.
4.1 What criteria is included in the: “Not fully vaccinated” column.
4.2 Please provide the death numbers for each subset of those in the “not fully vaccinated” group.
4.3 Have any (and if so how many) unvaccinated people died of covid?
5. Age of children and youth who died
5.1 How old were each of the 3 children who died to date, under the age of 10 (and what was their vaccination status?)
5.2 How old were the 4 youth who died between age 10-19 who died to date) and what was their vaccination status?)
6. Cause of death should indicate serious organ injury, where present.
Though the cause of the recent hepatitis outbreak in children is unknown - liver (and other organ) injury (or serious exacerbation of an underling chronic condition) secondary to covid infection has been reported in young and older people (It is possible some people had multiple of the following complications).
It is important to know what organs were affected by people who died; in order to monitor potential long term consequences (such as diabetes etc) in those who survive.
6.1 Of all those who died, how many had lung injury which covid likely caused or significantly contributed to or exacerbated?
6.2 Of all those who died, how many had cardiovascular injury which covid likely caused or significantly contributed to or exacerbated?
6.3 Of all those who died, how many had neurological injury (including but not limited to stroke) which covid likely caused or significantly contributed to or exacerbated?
6.4 Of all those who died, how many had a bleeding disorder which covid likely caused or significantly contributed to or exacerbated?
6.5 Of all those who died, how many had septicemia or DIC which covid likely caused or significantly contributed to or exacerbated?
6.6 Of all those who died, how many had hepatic injury which covid likely caused or significantly contributed to or exacerbated?
6.7 Of all those who died, how many were undergoing cancer treatment, but covid likely caused complications that significantly contributed to death?
6.8 Of all those who died, how many were undergoing renal dialysis due to chronic kidney disease - but covid likely caused or significantly contributed to destabilisation and death?
6.9 Of all those who died, how many were on prednisone or major immunosuppressants for autoimmune related conditions or following transplants - but covid likely caused or significantly contributed to destabilisation and death?
7. There has been an extraordinary increase in the number of older people who died since the start of the phase out of covid controls - during a period when essential workers were allowed to return to work after very short quarantine (and in some instances even if the very short quarantine was not over). In addition, people were previously reported to have died at home, infected with covid.
This calls to question where people (not just older people) were when they died.
You can’t reduce preventable deaths without the facts.
In broad terms (eg at home, in hospital, in an aged care facility, in a chronic care nursing home, in prison etc)
7.1 Please break down where those who died were at the time they died (by 10 year age bands from age 1 to 90+)
7.2 Were those with dementia or in a totally dependent state treated any differently?
7.3 Did the Ministry of Health or any other official body give guidelines to hospitals and/or nursing homes or aged care facilities etc as to what to do with covid patients (and what were the instructions)
7.4a How many staff in nursing homes or aged care were infected?
7.4b How many returned to work within 7 days?
7.4c How many returned to work in less than 7 days?
7.5 Has the government considered building a purpose built large health facility in each region that can temporarily take in people who are high risk if they remain at home alone, or in a nursing home or in an aged care facility - where the risk of spread and death is potentially high?
Yours faithfully,
DE Sheridan
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