How lethal is COVID-19?

You may die of, by, from, with, related to, in the wake of or as a consequence of COVID-19

Death could also be caused by a COVID-19 impact, or by the effects of COVID-19 and it can be COVID-19-related. 

Early on media would announce that a person had died “of” COVID-19 or “by” COVID-19 or “from” COVID-19. Later media started to write “with” COVID-19 and today expressions like “related to” or “in the wake of” or “as a consequence of” are becoming common.

The confusion is real. Few people die from COVID-19 per se. COVID-19 is a definition meaning that the virus SARS Cov2 was present or was suspected to be present at death – or in a period within 30 days before death. 

In the new death certificates from WHO the doctor is mandated to tick the box for COVID-19 for any death where the patient has tested positive for the virus SARS CoV2 within a 30 day period before or can be suspected to be infected by SARS CoV2 within a 30 day period before. 

The real cause of death of a person is sometimes difficult to determine for the doctor. But it is easy for him to tick the box COVID-19 in the death certificate. 

According to the CDC, only 6 percent of deaths are "solely" due to the viral infection itself. The others die of COVID-19 or related to COVID-19, as a consequence of COVID-19… or….  So, 94 % of the deaths that are registered as death from COVID-19 are mainly, partly or solely caused by other illnesses. 

Reference: https://justidag.info/en/covid-updates/what-are-the-causes-of-death-in-the-pandemic/