U.S. Covid Deaths Still Over 2,000 A Day—But Some Signs Show Pandemic Receding
Topline
The number of people dying from Covid-19 is still increasing in the United States—at more than 2,000 fatalities per day—though there are some signs of reprieve as cases and hospitalizations continue to trend downwards from their peaks in early September.
A nurse wearing protective gloves holds the hand of a patient.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
The U.S. hit a 7-day average of over 2,000 deaths for the first time since March on September 18 and has since seen that number rise to 2,031 Americans dead from Covid-19 each day, according to data compiled by The New York Times.
The death rate has risen 23% since two weeks ago, when the country was tallying just over 1,650 deaths per day, and 65% from the 1,234 deaths reported each day at this time in August.
Leading the country in recent mortalities are Alabama, which is clocking 2.37 deaths per 100,000 residents after seeing deaths rise 211% over the past two weeks, Florida (1.56 per 100,000), South Carolina (1.29), Alaska (1.23) and West Virginia (1.22).
While deaths are rising nationwide due to surges in states with low vaccination rates, new cases and hospitalizations have been decreasing steadily since earlier this month, The Times data show.
At 119,883 per day, new cases have decreased by about a third since the country’s peak of 175,822 on September 13.
Meanwhile, after hovering at more than 100,000 for the first two weeks of September, coronavirus-linked hospitalizations have dropped about 15% to 86,043.
What To Watch For
A Bloomberg analysis of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) data indicated the number of people dying from Covid-19 in U.S. hospitals may have reached its peak. Hospital deaths have accounted for about 70% of all Covid-19 deaths throughout the pandemic and are typically a good indicator of the direction this statistic is moving, Bloomberg explained. Deaths were down 8.9% from the recent peak on September 16 as of Friday, signaling overall deaths—which lag behind cases and deaths—may be moving in this direction too.
Key Background
Cases and hospitalizations began surging in late July and early August due to the increasing prevalence of the more infectious delta variant. Despite the widespread availability of vaccines, many states have struggled to get their populations inoculated, and it is those states that have battled the most severe outbreaks this fall. Experts are warning Americans to remain vigilant even if Covid-19 appears to be subsiding in their communities.
Big Number
688,157. That’s how many Americans have died from Covid-19, making it the deadliest pandemic in American history.
Further Reading
“675,000 American Deaths: Coronavirus Now Deadlier Than The Spanish Flu” (Forbes)
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