Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
There was a 20% increase over expected deaths in the U.S. between March 1 and Aug. 1., per a study published in JAMA on Monday.
Why it matters: Experts say that excess deaths are the best way to measure the true impact of the pandemic, as the number accounts for people who died of the virus itself without being counted and those who died of causes that could have been prevented in non-pandemic times.
- Only 67% of the 225,530 excess deaths were attributed to the coronavirus.
Details: States have had widely varying experiences, with those hit hardest early on in the pandemic — New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts — seeing much higher excess death rates than the rest of the country.
- These three states accounted for 30% of all excess deaths in the U.S., even though they had shorter outbreaks than states that saw surges over the summer.