COVID-19 Deaths - Provisional

COVID-19 Deaths - Provisional in United States

United States

COVID-19 is a relatively mild illness for most people. However, those with certain medical conditions, older adults and pregnant women are at increased risk of severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 1,047,020 lives across the U.S. as of September 14th, 2022. In 2021, COVID-19 was the third-leading cause of death. Provisional death data suggest that more deaths due to COVID-19 occurred in 2021 than in 2020.

The COVID-19 crisis has placed enormous stress on medical systems. Hospitals, in particular, have a limited number of beds in their inpatient and intensive care units, which affects their ability to provide care during surges in COVID-19 cases and hospital demand. Many hospitals in the U.S. and other countries have reached maximum capacity at some point during the pandemic, which has been shown to lead to an increase in the number of deaths in the weeks immediately following.

Deaths from COVID-19 are higher among:

• Older adults, who have mortality rates between 60 and 330 times higher than adults ages 18-29; the highest mortality rate is among adults ages 85 and older.
• Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native and Black populations compared with white and Asian populations.

Vaccination is a critical component in reducing deaths from COVID-19. All COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. help prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19 infections. Vaccination also helps protect the community and at-risk populations, which is critical to reducing the number of additional deaths due to COVID-19.

Reducing the number of deaths requires minimizing the number of people exposed to or at risk of contracting the virus. In addition to vaccination and basic hygiene (e.g., handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes), the CDC recommends the following to avoid infection: 

• Remaining up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
• Improving ventilation and filtration of indoor spaces.
• Moving indoor activities outside, if possible.
• Getting tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Following recommendations for what to do if you are exposed to COVID-19 .
• Staying home if you have or suspect you might have COVID-19.
• Seek treatment if you have COVID-19 and are at high risk of severe illness.
• Avoid contact with those who have or may have COVID-19.
• When community transmission is medium or high, wear a face mask or respirator, avoid crowded areas and keep distance from others.

The CDC also has information on monitoring your health daily, testing options and quarantine and isolation recommendations. 

Updated 09/16/22

Ahmad, Farida B., Jodi A. Cisewski, and Robert N. Anderson. “Provisional Mortality Data — United States, 2021.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 71, no. 17 (April 29, 2022): 597–600. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7117e1.

French, Geoffrey, Mary Hulse, Debbie Nguyen, Katharine Sobotka, Kaitlyn Webster, Josh Corman, Brago Aboagye-Nyame, et al. “Impact of Hospital Strain on Excess Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, July 2020–July 2021.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 70, no. 46 (November 19, 2021): 1613–16. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7046a5.