Using verbal autopsies to monitor COVID-19 deaths
During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries with weak civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems faced greater obstacles in collecting cause-of-death data. Verbal autopsies can offer a solution in collecting cause-of-death data, where health workers interview the deceased’s next of kin or family member to collect data on the associated symptoms along with basic demographic information (such as age and sex). During the pandemic, verbal autopsies were utilized by community health workers in Chad and Liberia.