On the four-year anniversary of Indiana's stay-at-home orders, Attorney General Todd Rokita released a report that questions the accuracy of COVID-19 data used during the pandemic. According to Rokita, "The truth is our government produced and relied on severely flawed data, including inflated death counts and unsound positivity rates, to shape the state’s failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic." He further stated that this led to prolonged lockdowns and mask mandates, impacting both lives and livelihoods.
The Office of Attorney General (OAG) prepared this report with the aim of informing Hoosiers, elected officials, and public health agencies about deficiencies in COVID-19 data. The analysis focused on two key statistics: death counts attributed to COVID-19 and positivity rates.
In terms of death counts, it was reported that COVID-19 was listed as a cause for deaths resulting from gunshot wounds, fires, car accidents, blunt force trauma, drowning, and drug overdoses. The Management Performance Hub (MPH) reportedly overestimated COVID-19 deaths by 10.9% in 2020, 7% in 2021, and 12.5% in 2022. Additionally, there were discrepancies between county-level reports and MPH data.
Regarding positivity rates, it was noted that if an individual tested positive multiple times over consecutive days each test contributed separately to the positivity rate. Those tested were often symptomatic or required testing due to potential exposure risks. A statewide survey indicated Indiana's actual positivity rate might have been significantly lower than reported figures suggested.
Attorney General Rokita emphasized that "Our report doesn’t just point out the flaws," adding that recommendations are included for future improvements. He advocates for using high-quality research and sound data for decision-making during emergencies while keeping economic activities uninterrupted.
The full report is available for public review along with a downloadable headshot of Attorney General Rokita.