The COVID-19 death toll is reported every day by state and federal governments.

These numbers are often used, alongside case numbers, to assess how public health policies are faring in controlling the pandemic, and to gauge the success of various drugs or interventions.

There’s been confusion, however, over whether reported death statistics reflect those who’ve died from COVID-19, or those who’ve died with the virus.

Often it’s hard for medical practitioners to determine into which of these categories a death falls.