Oct 21, 2020 - Health

CDC: Two-thirds of excess deaths were from COVID-19

Marisa Fernandez

Health care worker in an ICU — Helath care worker in ICU. Photo: Mark Felix/AFP /AFP via Getty Images

About 285,000 more people have died in the U.S. than anticipated, and 66% of those fatalities were due to COVID-19, a report out Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.

By the numbers: The deaths, recorded between Feb. 1 and Sept. 16, disproportionately affect Latinx and Black Americans. The "excess death" rate among 25-to-44 year-olds is also up about 27% from previous years.

The big picture: The coronavirus is on track to be the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. by the end of the year, behind heart disease and cancer. At least 219,000 people have died of COVID-19 so far.

Go deeper: Which states have seen the most excess deaths because of the coronavirus

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CDC: Two-thirds of excess deaths were from COVID-19

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