Early U.S. Mortality Stays High
Hospitals reported more than 600 COVID-19 deaths for the fifth straight week.
The first reasonably complete death data for December 2023 seems to show that total U.S. mortality, for people of all ages from all causes, was considerably higher than the pre-pandemic norm.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put state reports of 57,668 deaths in the table it uses to determine whether the percentage of deaths from flu, pneumonia and COVID-19 is at or above the pandemic threshold.
The December 2023 death total was 13% higher than the total for December 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic came to light, and 17% higher than the total for December 2018.
Another, separate stream of data, based on figures that states send to a team at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, shows that hospitals reported 717 deaths of people with COVID-19 for the week ending Jan. 20.
That was less than the total of 897 the HHS team recorded for the week ending Jan. 13, but it means the total has been over 600 for five straight weeks.
Before the current surge began during the week ending Dec. 23, 2023, the total had been over 600 just one time since May.
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