Pandemic caused largest jump in deaths in 100 years
The coronavirus impacted mortality in the United States, showing the highest increase in deaths in the past century.
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Workers wearing protective gear lower the coffin of a person who died of COVID-19 into a grave in Sao Paulo, Brazil (AP)
The Covid pandemic caused a surge of deaths in the US between 2019 and 2020, ushering in the largest spike in mortality in 100 years.
Deaths in the US increased by 19% between the pre-Covid era and 2020. Deaths also remained high in 2021 as the threat of the pandemic continued, according to the US Census Bureau's estimates.
Mortality patterns have been predictable prior to the pandemic, following seasonal trends and peaking in the winter months. But over the past two years, the Coronavirus has disrupted these patterns, and it's unclear whether or if the pre-pandemic patterns will return.
The Census Bureau said that deaths spiked by almost 19% between 2019 and 2020, from 2,854,828 to 3,390,029 in the US. Deaths in the US had until the pandemic been following a general linear increase.
Deaths from 2020 to 2021 increased by 0.82%, meaning a 19.7% increase in 2021 from 2019. This indicates that Covid-19 still poses a significant impact on mortality despite vaccine availability.
The coronavirus not only impacted mortality, but also fertility, net international migration, and US domestic migration. What is still not clear, however, is whether the pandemic's impact will persist in the future, and for how long.
