After criticism, Russia expands stats on virus-linked deaths

MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian government on Friday presented more detailed mortality figures for last month that include more deaths linked with the coronavirus, in a bid to dispel suspicions from some Russian and Western experts that authorities were trying to lower the toll for political reasons.

But officials also defended the way they register deaths, which only includes people confirmed to have died of COVID-19, and not those who succumbed to other causes — even if they also tested positive for the virus.

Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said that 1,675 people died of COVID-19 in April. Of that number, 1,136 deaths were directly caused by confirmed COVID-19, while the remaining 539 tested negative but most likely died of the virus. In addition to that, she said, 1,038 others tested positive for the virus but died of other causes.

If all three categories are counted as COVID-19 deaths, the nation’s total toll for April would stand at 2,713 or nearly 60% more than the previously announced number.

The country's current total is 4,374 deaths, about 1% of registered infections. Those are deaths directly resulting from the virus, and some experts questioned the government's figures, pointing at a significant increase in April mortality in Moscow and St. Petersburg compared to a year earlier. Moscow health officials also released broader coronavirus statistics on Thursday that showed more deaths of those who tested positive but died of other reasons.

Even with those extra deaths, Russia’s coronavirus mortality rate still looks markedly lower than in many European countries and the United States. Experts point to a combination of reasons, including the nation’s vast, sparsely populated territory, less frequent travel and lower social mobility.

Alexei Raksha, an independent demographer who analyzes...