COVID deaths in the United States in 2021 exceed 2020 total

2021 has passed 2020 to become the deadliest year for COVID-19 cases in the United States, although vaccines have been readily available to most Americans for months.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, more than 353,000 coronavirus deaths have been reported this year, surpassing the 352,000 recorded in 2020.

The total death toll Wednesday afternoon stood at 705,831. The United States passed the 700,000 mark on Friday.

The first COVID-19 vaccines received Emergency Use Clearance (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last December, and Pfizer’s vaccine is now fully approved. The shots became available to all American adults in April, and Pfizer’s shot was licensed for children as young as 12 in May.

But, still, only 56% of the nation’s population – and two-thirds of those who are eligible – are fully immunized, as many Americans express hesitation or skepticism about the safety and effectiveness of injections. By comparison, Canada has fully vaccinated 72% of its population and the UK has vaccinated 67% of its population.

Studies have shown that vaccines are safe, effective in preventing infections, and very effective in preventing hospitalization or death.

A study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last month found that unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those who are unvaccinated.

The country appeared to be on the verge of emerging from the pandemic in early summer, when new infections fell below 12,000 per day and deaths fell below 200 per day.

But then the highly transmissible delta variant became the dominant strain in the country, fueling another wave that has seen cases and deaths rise and many hospitals overwhelmed. Southern states, where vaccination rates were lowest, were particularly affected.

However, there are encouraging signs that conditions are improving.

The number of new infections has fallen 39% in the past month to a seven-day average of around 98,000, and hospitalizations are down 13.6% in the past week, according to CDC data. . Deaths are also down – 10% over the past month – although more than 1,400 people have still died on average in the past seven days.

An antiviral pill developed by pharmaceutical company Merck may soon provide another weapon in the fight against COVID-19. The drugmaker, which plans to seek emergency use clearance from the FDA, says the pill cuts hospitalizations and deaths in half for people infected with the virus.

However, the number of people receiving their first dose of the vaccine has peaked at an all-time high, though that could change as soon as the Biden administration writes a new rule that will require companies with 100 or more people to make sure their workers are vaccinated. . And the phar

There are also fears that the winter months could lead to another spike in cases.

“The only thing we don’t want to do is we don’t want to get complacent and say, ‘OK, now we have to step back, we don’t need people to get the shot anymore’,” Dr Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s top infectious disease expert, told CBS “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “We must continue to vaccinate these people – now 70 million people eligible for vaccination.

“. As it goes down, we have within our capacity, we can get there, to get down to a very, very low level with vaccination and mitigation. “