In most states its illegal for a coroner, doc, ME, etc. to lie about COD on a death certificate. It used to be illegal in Missouri, but my home state has gone off the rails to crazy town in recent years.
Falsifying that information can pose a threat to the health and welfare of the general public, particularly during a pandemic. Public health is a thing, and Missouri used to be really good at it.
On Missouri death certificates, officials are required to post a primary and secondary cause of death, if applicable. So the excuse that you can post grandma died from COPD instead of COVID 19 is bogus. COPD would be listed as a contributory cause, with COVID 19 as the primary cause of death. Both would be listed in the computer database.
The excuse this guy is using is invalid. Families also are traumatized by the death of loved ones from diseases like cancer or car accidents, but no one falsifies death certificates to make them feel better. Death certificates are legal documents and need to be accurate. They're needed to prevent the spread of disease, protect public sanitation, safe businesses and workplaces, etc. The information is analyzed by insurance companies and other businesses working to make the food we eat, consumer products we buy, health care we receive, cars we drive and roads we build safe for everyone.
Anyone who does genealogical research is familiar with death certificates and their evoluntion into modern times. IIRC, Missouri began requiring them for all deaths at the turn of the 20th century, probably because of the Spanish Flu pandemic. Here's a link to a Missouri Death Certificates
from 1931, where doctors show secondary and primary causes of death.
Ancestry.com
