COVID-19 Ranked 4th Leading Cause of Death in the US Last Year

1st to 3rd Leading Causes: Heart Disease, Cancer, and Unintentional Injuries
WP "COVID-19 Does Not Become Like a Common Cold"

Last year, COVID-19 was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, following heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries.

On the 4th (local time), the American daily The Washington Post (WP) reported this by citing preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the U.S. last year, 699,659 people died from heart disease, making it the leading cause of death. This was followed by 607,790 cancer deaths and 218,064 deaths from unintentional injuries, including drug overdoses.

The number of COVID-19 deaths was 186,702. Although this represents a 47% sharp decline compared to the previous year, 2021, more than 500 people still die from COVID-19 daily in the U.S.

Medical staff in the United States conducting COVID-19 testing
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Regarding this, WP stated, "Although we have moved past the worst phase of the pandemic, COVID-19 remains deadly," adding, "COVID-19 has not magically become like the flu or a common cold." Despite a large portion of the population having high levels of immunity through vaccination and natural infection, the threat of COVID-19 continues.

William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine who reviewed the CDC data, also pointed out, "COVID-19 has not disappeared," and said, "Like a lion in Africa attacking old and slow antelopes, COVID-19 seeps into our communities like smoke and kills the most vulnerable."

Additionally, WP suggested that some of the increases in deaths from heart disease and cancer may be related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people delayed medical visits due to fears of COVID-19 infection, leading to a decrease in cancer screenings. Heart disease may also have worsened due to inflammation associated with COVID-19.

The most threatening diseases in the U.S. are heart disease and cancer. The mortality rate from heart disease increased for three consecutive years up to last year, and the cancer mortality rate also rose for two consecutive years. The overall mortality rate in the U.S. in 2022, including all causes of death, was nearly the same as in 2020 but was significantly higher than in 2019.