By Mike Stobbe
U.S. deaths fell last year, and COVID-19 dropped to the nation's No. 4 cause, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
COVID-19 deaths trailed those caused by heart disease, cancer and injuries such as drug overdoses, motor vehicle fatalities and shootings. In 2020 and 2021, only heart disease and cancer were ahead of the coronavirus.
U.S. deaths usually rise year-to-year, in part because the nation’s population has been growing. The pandemic accelerated that trend, making 2021 the deadliest in U.S. history, with more than 3.4 million deaths. But 2022 saw the first drop in deaths since 2009.
The 2022 tally was about 3.3 million — a 5% decline from 2021 but still much higher than in the years before the pandemic. The CDC cautioned that last year's numbers are preliminary and may change a little after further analysis.
Coronavirus-associated death rates fell for nearly all Americans. The virus was deemed the underlying cause of about 187,000 U.S. deaths last year, accounting for about 6% of deaths. The highest COVID-19 death rates were in the South and in an adjacent region that stretches west to Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, the CDC said.
The death rates for heart disease and cancer increased during the pandemic, the CDC said. The cancer death rate had been falling for 20 years before COVID-19 hit.
The CDC report indicated a slight decline in the number of injury deaths last year, falling to about 218,000 from about 219,500 the year before. That would be a surprise, given recent trends in rising drug overdose and gun deaths.
CDC officials noted that number could rise. Death certificate data for injury deaths tends to take longer because many involve police investigations.
How Incorporating Resistance Bands Can Diversify Workout Sessions
A giant Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton that’s been dug up from three sites in the United States is going up for auction in Zurich. It's a first sale of its kind in Europe.
As the inaugural guest on Cheddar News' new show Be Well, Dr. Sandra Lee, also known as Dr. Pimple Popper, discussed when (and when not) to pop a pimple and how to take care of your skin and keep an eye out for signs of more dangerous issues such as cancer.
Moderna and Merck & Co. have developed a cancer vaccine that cuts the risk of death or recurrence of most deadly skin cancer by 44 percent compared to Keytruda on its own, according to researchers.
The company got the OK on Friday from the Federal Aviation Administration. CEO Elon Musk is giving 50-50 odds of Starship reaching orbit.
Vertical farming startup Babylon Micro-Farms recently raised $8 million in a Serie A round. Alexander Oleson, CEO and co-founder of Babylon Micro-Farms, joined Cheddar News to explain his company's mission to help businesses and communities grow their own fresh produce in a sustainable manner.
A new lab test can detect Parkinson's disease in its early stages.
Cheddar News is highlighting companies with a focus on sustainability for Earth Month. Ashley Allen, chief sustainability officer with Oatly, joined Cheddar News to discuss her company's mission to deliver products that have a minimal environmental impact. "We want to make it easy for people to eat better and live healthier lives without recklessly taxing the planet's resources," she said.
'Plant Kween' Talks Low Maintenance Care for Budding Plant Parents
The first image of a black hole captured in 2019 is getting a makeover. Researchers on Thursday revealed an updated version, which they made using artificial intelligence.
