[1] https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_totaldeaths...
[2] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/28235...
EDIT: I got curious and looked up the CDC guidelines https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/vsrg/vsrg03-508.pdf
> based on sound medical judgment drawn from clinical training and experience, as well as knowledge of current disease states and local trends
> the disease or injury which initiated the train of morbid events leading directly to death
It goes on to suggest that if Covid was present they strongly recommend including it. And even if you did not diagnose Covid it can be a good assumption to make.
Which honestly I can’t think of a better way for mass data collection.