Overlooked Virus Kills More Americans Each Year Than the Flu
Summary
A CDC study found that COVID-19 is still causing more than 100,000 deaths each year in the United States. The virus particularly affects older adults, who make up most hospitalizations and deaths. The study used data from hospital networks and statistical models to estimate the impact as case reporting has decreased.Key Facts
- COVID-19 led to about 101,300 deaths in the U.S. from October 2022 to September 2023, and approximately 100,800 deaths from October 2023 to September 2024.
- Older adults, aged 65 and over, made up a large percentage of COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths.
- The virus continues to put pressure on healthcare facilities, especially during the winter flu season.
- Accurate tracking is more difficult now since case reporting stopped after COVID-19 was no longer a public health emergency.
- Death counts rely heavily on death certificates, which might not capture all cases.
- In 2022–2023, COVID-19 caused an estimated 10 million outpatient visits and 1.1 million hospitalizations.
- Between 2023–2024, outpatient visits were about 7.7 million, and hospitalizations were approximately 879,100.
- The study used data from the COVID-19 Hospitalization Surveillance Network, covering about 10% of the U.S. population.
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