CDC says heart disease and cancer killed more Americans than COVID-19 in 2020

While the headlines have been filled with news about COVID-19, it’s really sad that the two most leading causes of death in the United States, heart disease and cancer, received very little attention in the mainstream media. The situation is also worsened with state-imposed lockdowns which prevented patients from receiving life-saving treatments.

Today, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its annual death report. According to the CDC, heart disease and cancer killed more people in the U.S. than COVID-19 in 2020. Coronavirus was third. CDC said that heart disease killed 690,882 people and cancer killed 598,932 while 345,323 died of COVID-19.

There were more than 3.3 million deaths reported in the U.S. last year, according to data compiled by the National Vital Statistics System, which examines and reports annual mortality statistics using death certificates. Most of the deaths occurred during the weeks ending April 11 and Dec. 26, the CDC found.

CDC reported that:

“The age-adjusted death rate increased by 15.9% in 2020. Overall death rates were highest among non-Hispanic Black persons and non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native persons. COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death, and the COVID-19 death rate was highest among Hispanics.”

According to the study released Wednesday, Covid-19 was listed as the underlying cause for 345,323 deaths, killing more Americans than unintentional injuries, strokes, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, and kidney disease. Covid-19 replaced suicide among the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S., the study found.

CDC researchers also noted that “During January–December 2020, the estimated 2020 age-adjusted death rate increased for the first time since 2017, with an increase of 15.9% compared with 2019, from 715.2 to 828.7 deaths per 100,000 population. COVID-19 was the underlying or a contributing cause of 377,883 deaths (91.5 deaths per 100,000). COVID-19 death rates were highest among males, older adults, and AI/AN and Hispanic persons. The highest numbers of overall deaths and COVID-19 deaths occurred during April and December. COVID-19 was the third leading underlying cause of death in 2020, replacing suicide as one of the top 10 leading causes of death”

“Provisional death estimates provide an early indication of shifts in mortality trends and can guide public health policies and interventions aimed at reducing numbers of deaths that are directly or indirectly associated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” researchers wrote.