Kathy Eagar

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January 30, 2023

Here’s who decides cause of death, how death certificates work – and whether a person died with or of COVID

The cause of every death in Australia must be certified by a medical practitioner. If the cause of death is not clear, the death is reported to the state or territory coroner for investigation.

Symptoms of an illness usually improve the closer a person gets to dying. Photo by Dawid Zawiła on Unsplash

December 10, 2017

No, most people aren’t in severe pain when they die

Kathy Eagar, University of Wollongong; Sabina Clapham, University of Wollongong, and Samuel Allingham, University of Wollongong

Excruciating pain at the end of life is extremely rare. The evidence shows pain and other symptoms, such as fatigue, insomnia and breathing issues, actually improve as people move closer to death.

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Here’s who decides cause of death, how death certificates work – and whether a person died with or of COVID

No, most people aren’t in severe pain when they die

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