According to a state health official, a person who was killed in a motorcycle accident in Florida was listed as a COVID-19 death. The incident highlighted the problem with the reporting of fatalities caused by the coronavirus.

The case was brought to light during an interview for FOX 35 News. A reporter asked Orange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino if the persons in their 20s who were listed as fatalities had any underlying conditions. The presence of two young persons on the list was particularly concerning, as it has been assumed that younger people are not as prone to the virus as the elderly. But Pino’s response was even more concerning. “The first one didn’t have any,” Pino said. “He died in a motorcycle accident,” he said.

He was then asked if the information of the person who died in the motorcycle accident had been removed. Pino replied that he was unsure and that he would have to check. He then went on to argue that it is possible that the coronavirus may have caused the crash and so it was only right that he should be listed.

In an attempt to downplay the effect of the revelation of the discrepancy, the Florida Department of Health sent a statement to the FOX 35 News, which outlines how a COVID-19 death is determined. According to the statement, “COVID19 is listed as the immediate or underlying cause of death or listed as one of the significant conditions contributing to death. Or, if there is a confirmed COVID-19 infection from a lab test – and the cause of death doesn’t meet exclusion criteria.”

That still does not explain how a person who died because of a vehicular accident was listed as COVID-19 fatality. If that was a mistake, then the question now is how reliable is the list and how just adds fuel to the conspiracy theories that the deaths caused by the virus are inflated.