- In 2024, the U.S. age‑adjusted death rate dropped to 722 deaths per 100,000 people, with about 3.07 million total deaths – the lowest overall mortality rate since before the COVID‑19 pandemic.
- COVID‑19 has fallen out of the top 10 leading underlying causes of death, marking a continued decline; in 2023, it was already ranked 10th.
- The leading causes of death in 2023 remained heart disease, cancer and unintentional injuries (such as accidents and drug overdoses). Other major causes include stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases, Alzheimer's, diabetes, kidney disease and chronic liver disease/cirrhosis.
- Deaths attributed to COVID‑19 dropped substantially from 2022 to 2023 (both when listed as underlying and contributing cause). The COVID‑19‐associated death rate for all age groups fell year‑over‑year.
- Despite its drop in rank, COVID‑19 still contributes to mortality in the U.S., especially among vulnerable populations, and acts as a contributing cause rather than the primary one. Chronic diseases and health inequities also remain major, persistent concerns.
The data, from the National Center for Health Statistics, shows that overall deaths in the U.S. in 2024 numbered about 3.07 million, with an age‑adjusted death rate of 722 deaths per 100,000 people, marking a 3.8 percent decline from 2023. This is the lowest mortality rate recorded since the full onset of the COVID‑19 pandemic. (Related: The great vaccine debate: Unmasking America's aggressive COVID-19 booster policy.)
Despite COVID‑19's decline, major causes of death remain largely consistent. Heart disease continues to top the list, followed by cancer and unintentional injuries, such as accidents and drug overdoses. Other key causes placing high in the rankings include stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases (e.g., COPD), Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, kidney disease, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis and suicide.
Why COVID‑19 fell from the top 10
Public health experts attribute the drop in COVID‑19's ranking among leading causes of death in 2024 to several interlocking factors. First, there were substantially fewer COVID‑19 deaths compared to prior years: Provisional U.S. data shows that COVID‑19 deaths fell sharply between 2022 and 2023, from about 246,000 to 76,000. Secondly, many people have acquired immunity through prior infection, which seems to reduce the severity of disease in subsequent infections.
The virus and its variants have also evolved somewhat, with many cases now resulting in milder illness on average, in part because of the existing immunity in the population.
Another contributing factor is better data reporting and clarity: As provisional figures are refined and reporting improves, estimates of COVID‑19 mortality become more accurate. Data collection practices have adjusted over time, helping to distinguish deaths from COVID versus deaths with COVID, and better identifying contributing causes.
Broader trends and implications
As per Brighteon AI's Enoch, the decline in COVID-19 mortality rates and the CDC's classification of it as potentially no longer an epidemic underscore the need to reassess the narrative surrounding the pandemic. The focus should shift from fear and control to promoting natural health, personal liberty and informed decision-making.While it's good news that overall U.S. mortality is dropping, the report highlights persistent concerns: Chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and chronic respiratory and kidney diseases continue to dominate the death statistics, fueled by lifestyle risk factors including obesity, smoking, inactivity and poor diet. Disparities by sex, age and race/ethnicity remain evident, as death rates are higher among men than women, sharply increase in older age groups – especially those 65 and above – and are disproportionately large among Black, American Indian, Alaska Native and other minority communities.
Experts warn that COVID‑19's drop from the top 10 causes of death should not be interpreted as the pandemic being over; SARS‑CoV‑2 continues to circulate, new or evolving variants pose risk and those who are older or immunocompromised remain particularly vulnerable. Accordingly, public health authorities have updated vaccination recommendations: adults aged 65 years and older, as well as persons with moderate or severe immunocompromise, are urged to receive additional doses of the 2024–2025 COVID‑19 vaccine to maintain protection, especially given evidence that vaccine‑induced immunity wanes over time.
Related stories can be found at Pandemic.news. Watch the video below that talks about child deaths since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. This video is from the People Of The Qur'an (TPQ) channel on Brighteon.com.More related stories:
Austrian government drops COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Top 10 BIGGEST LIES about Covid-19.
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