COVID-19 is now the number one cause of death in the United States

Tragic milestone, according to American scholars.

For decades, most Americans died of cardiovascular disease and cancer. But that has changed now, researchers write in Virginia Commonwealth University In the paper Journal of the American Medical Association. At present, COVID-19 is the number one cause of death in the United States.

2,430 deaths a day
Since November, the number of people dying from SARS-CoV-2 has tripled. Where in November about 826 Americans died a day from COVID-19, there are now around 2,430 a day. In so doing, the virus is now killing far more than the most common causes of death until recently: cardiovascular disease (responsible for about 1,700 deaths per day) and cancer (about 1,600 deaths per day).

“It’s been a long time since an infectious disease was the most common cause of death nationwide,” notes researcher Stephen Wolf. This is a tragic milestone that we could have avoided. “

Indeed, more deaths
Researchers say official death rates are still likely to underestimate the true number of people dying from COVID-19. Sometimes the deaths are passed on or coded incorrectly at a later time (so they are not incorrectly attributed to COVID-19). Additionally, many Americans are currently likely to die indirectly from COVID-19, for example because surgeries or other treatments must be postponed or a diagnosis made too late. The social and economic impact of the pandemic – such as life in isolation or losing a job – also has an impact on Americans’ health and risk of death. With all that in mind, the number of Americans dying from COVID-19 could be 20 percent higher than official figures indicate.

appearance
Researchers hope their study can awaken Americans. “The important point is that you can prevent these loss of life,” says Wolf. “Looking back, there are a lot of deaths that we could have prevented. As we look forward, although there is hope for a vaccine, it will not come soon enough to save the people who are dying now. It’s important for Americans to wear masks and walk away.” About them and avoid large gatherings, otherwise we’ll see many disturbing numbers and COVID-19 will remain the most common cause of death for a very long time.

reason
In their study, the scientists make no statements about the exact causes of the high infection and death rates in the United States. They simply argue that COVID-19 could become the leading cause of death because “the public and leaders (in the United States, ed) have failed to take appropriate steps to prevent infection”.

Hit hard
Since the Corona virus also broke out in the United States, about 17.2 million Americans have been infected, according to official figures. It makes the United States a compelling leader in the list of worst-affected countries (India is second with nearly 10 million infections, followed by Brazil with 7.1 million infections). According to the latest figures, more than 310,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the United States. Especially in recent weeks, the numbers are increasing rapidly. Peter Buckley said, “Every 40 seconds, one American now dies from COVID-19” Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, But do not participate in the investigation.

Incidentally, the number of infections is not only increasing sharply in the United States. Many other countries – including the Netherlands – are facing more injuries and deaths. It is associated with winter weather conditions, as viruses are generally spread. The fact that people are so much more indoors at this time of year is also playing into the hands of the virus.

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