State auditor finds hundreds of unreported COVID-19 deaths

FOX 2 - Michigan's auditor general reports finding hundreds of previously unreported coronavirus deaths in Michigan.

The count of confirmed and probable deaths were found to be off by at least 822 between January, 2020 and July of this year. But that number may be even higher.

Auditor General Doug Ringler is still reviewing death certificates and the state's disease surveillance system to determine a true count - which is expected by late next month or early December.

According to the initial report, one reason for the undercount-- is because of misspellings of the words "Covid" and "coronavirus" on death certificates.

Ringler was asked to conduct the review by Republican lawmakers who question Governor Whitmer's handling of nursing home cases during the pandemic.