A coronavirus has become the leading cause of death in the United States, according to a new study.
The researchers found that the average seven-day death toll from COVID-19 is currently 2,430 deaths per day, three times the figure a month ago.
Respiratory disease gets 1.4 times more lives a day than heart disease and 1.5 times more than cancer.
In addition, it means that the daily mortality rate of COVID-19 in the U.S. is equivalent to 9/11 attacks (which resulted in the loss of 2,988 lives) every 1.5 days.
The team, from Virginia Commonwealth University, says it’s “more urgent” than ever for Americans to put on masks and practice social distancing in the face of fears that mortality rates will continue to rise as people gather for the holidays.
It comes as tolls continue to rise daily, with a record 3,656 U.S. deaths recorded on Wednesday.
Between November 1 and December 13, the average seven-day deaths from COVID-19 daily tripled from 826 to 2,430
In comparison, the average seven-day mortality rates for heart disease and cancer are 1,700 deaths per day and 1,600 deaths per day, respectively. Pictured: Sammie Michael Dent, son, grandson of Florence Bolton, deceased of COVID-19, looks at his coffin at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Zion in Chicago, Illinois, on December 9th.
For the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the team examined the top three causes of death in 10 age groups ranging from childhood to old age.
Data on COVID-19 mortality rates came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between March and October 2020.
Meanwhile, data on other causes of death were added from March to October 2018, the most recent period for which complete data are available.
In October 2020, COVID-19 became the second leading cause of death in adults aged 85 and over, after heart disease.
Among Americans between the ages of 45 and 84, the disease was the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer.
“Adults 45 years of age or older were more likely to die from COVID-19 during these months than from chronic low respiratory illness, transportation accidents, drug overdose, suicide, or homicide,” the authors wrote.
However, children under the age of 45 were more likely to die from drug overdose, suicide, cancer and traffic accidents than the coronavirus.
The team notes that these rates are the added mortality rates at eight months and not the current mortality rate.
The researchers found that, between On November 1 and December 13, the average seven-day deaths per day of COVID-19 tripled from 826 to 2,430.
Heart disease and cancer cause approximately 1,700 deaths per day and 1,600 deaths per day, respectively.
This means that COVID-19 has become more deadly than heart disease and cancer, and this rate may increase and people travel and gather for Christmas.
The team says the actual death toll could be much higher, up to 20%, due to the underestimation of the excess deaths.
“The failure of the public and its leaders to take appropriate measures to prevent viral transmission has made the nation more vulnerable, which has allowed COVID-19 to become the leading cause of death in the United States,” they wrote. the authors.
“The prospect of a vaccine offers hope for 2021, but that solution will not come soon enough to prevent catastrophic increases in COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths.
“The need for the entire population to take the disease seriously (especially wearing masks and maintaining social distance) could not be more urgent.”