Rhode Island’s Department of Health claims that almost everybody listed as hospitalized with COVID is in the hospital at least partly because of COVID, but I keep seeing stories like this:

The majority of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in New Jersey were actually admitted for reasons other than COVID-19, officials said on Jan. 10.

Of the 6,075 people with COVID-19 and hospitalized in the state, just 2,963 were admitted for COVID-19, New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said during a briefing.

There are so many ways to shade the data, and Rhode Island’s long-term inability to manage its healthcare system is leading hospital to turn people away if they test positive for COVID but should probably be admitted for other reasons if those reasons aren’t “dire.”  Both of those factors would increase the percentage who are in the hospital because of COVID, but not because the disease is particularly virulent around here.