2020 deaths

US mortality statistics now are available for 2020. Unsurprisingly, deaths jumped by 18% over 2019, making it clear we suffered a deadly epidemic. 345,000 deaths were attributed to Covid-19, making it the third leading cause after heart disease and cancer. There were some increases in other categories of death: heart disease deaths increased by 4.8%, unintentional injury by 11.1%, Alzheimer by 9.8%, diabetes by 15.4%, and influenza and pneumonia by 7.5%. Since the flu season was low, I can’t help but wonder if some of those pneumonia deaths were undiagnosed Covid-19.

Contrary to quite a bit of speculation that it would rise, suicide declined by 5.6%. There no doubt will be a bump in homicide.