Leading Causes of Death in the United States in 2020
The provisional number of deaths occurring in the United States among U.S. residents in 2020 was 3358 814, an increase of 503976 (17.7%) from 2 854 838 in 2019 (Table). Historical trends in mortality show seasonality in deaths throughout the year, with more deaths in winter and fewer in summer. Supplemental eFigure shows that weekly deaths from 2015 to 2019 follow the usual seasonal pattern, with more average deaths in weeks 1 to 10 (n = 58 366) and weeks 35 to 52 (n = 52 892) than in weeks 25 to 34 (n = 52 892). (n = 50 227). In contrast, the increase in deaths in 2020 occurred in three different waves that reached peaks during 15 weeks (n = 78 917), 30 (n = 64 057), and 52 (n = 80 656), a pattern in which only the latter wave coincided with the historical season.
Ahmad FB, Anderson RN. leading causes of death in the United States in 2020. jama. 2021; 325(18): 1829-1830. doi: 10.1001 / jama.2021.5469
Commentary
The major causes of death in the United States in 2020 will be what we want to publish. In Japan, reports of COVID-19 related deaths are increasing due to the increasing number of cases caused by COVID-19, but in some people's opinion, it is not critical because it is less common than influenza.
The report by this paper shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in the major causes of death and provides insight into the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic.
It explains that the increase in the number of deaths from 2019 to 2020 is mostly directly attributable to COVID-19, and that the increasing reports may indicate underreporting of COVID-19. This may be due to limited initial testing, which may have led to an underestimation of COVID-19-related mortality, they said. Other major causes include an increase in heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes, which may reflect the disruption caused by the pandemic. Deaths from unintentional injuries due to drug overdose were also explained.
These data explained that the pandemic was having a substantial impact, with births showing a historic decline not seen since World War II (1942-1943). The study stated that the effects of the pandemic could last until 2021, but that COVID-19 testing and treatment, vaccines and natural immunity could mitigate the effects.
