SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the United States last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Heart disease was first, and cancer was second.
About 375,000 people died from COVID-19 in 2020, with the highest death rate among the Hispanic population. Deaths from the virus were also highest among Americans at least 85 years of age and older, the CDC report said.
“Limited availability of testing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic might have resulted in an underestimation of COVID-19–associated deaths,” the report added.
The overall age-adjusted death rate in 2020 increased by 15.9% compared to 2019, with 828.7 deaths per 100,000 population.
The highest numbers of overall deaths and COVID-19 deaths happened in April and December, the CDC said.
COVID-19 replaced suicide in the top 10 cause of deaths.