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The number of deaths in states hit hardest by the coronavirus is well above the normal range, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why it matters: In some of these states, the number of excess deaths this year — or deaths above the typical level — is greater than the number of reported coronavirus deaths, suggesting that the virus may have killed more people than we're aware of.
Between the lines: "These increases belie arguments that the virus is only killing people who would have died anyway from other causes. Instead, the virus has brought a pattern of deaths unlike anything seen in recent years," the New York Times writes.
- The excess deaths may also account for non-coronavirus patients who are dying of causes that are usually treatable, as people avoid hospitals out of fear of catching the virus.
Go deeper: U.S. coronavirus updates