The Third Surge

Excess Deaths

Health researchers confirmed that the pandemic caused 300,000 deaths in the United States. The new total includes confirmed deaths directly caused by the coronavirus and fatalities indirectly related. These would not have occurred but for the virus. “Excess deaths” are from all causes that statistically exceed those normally occurring in a certain time period.

A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association supports the CDC study. Per capita deaths in the U.S. have been far greater than in 18 other high-income countries. The study looks at per capita death rates in 2020 in 18 countries with populations larger than 5 million people and per capita gross domestic product levels above $25,000 per year. This so-called “all-cause” mortality. It counts fatalities that may have been due to the coronavirus but were never confirmed or due to people not seeking medical care.

The CDC found that it has struck 25- to 44-year-olds very hard: Their “excess death” rate is up 26.5 percent over previous years, the largest change for any age group. The CDC also said the novel coronavirus has taken a disproportionate toll on Latinos and Blacks.

Conspiracy Theory

Trump supporters refuse to believe the seriousness of the threat. Many circulate falsehoods on social media especially challenging the number of COVID deaths. However, numerous researchers confirmed that the number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have surpassed 225,000.

These numbers are supported by three lines of evidence, including death certificates. the conspiracy nuts claim that it is much lower because only 6 percent of death certificates state covid.  This is inaccurate and misleading. The inaccurate idea that only 6 percent of the deaths were really caused by the coronavirus is “a gross misinterpretation” of how death certificates work, says Robert Anderson, lead mortality statistician at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

Third Surge

And it is only getting worse. After weeks of spread and warnings, a third surge of coronavirus infections has now firmly taken hold across much of the United States. Health experts say cases and deaths will rapidly accelerate in a week as the country topped 60,000 new infections this week. Coronavirus-related hospitalizations are on the rise in a majority of states.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded how it defines a “close contact” of someone with Covid-19. They also released new evidence showing the coronavirus can be passed during relatively brief interactions.

Be safe. Wear a mask. Keep your distance. Stay home when you can.