COVID makes 4th leading cause of death in U.S. in 2022: CDC

LOS ANGELES, May 4 (Xinhua) -- COVID-19 was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States in 2022 following heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries, read a report published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The report is an overview of provisional U.S. mortality data for 2022, including a comparison with death rates for 2021.

In 2022, more than 3 million deaths occurred in the United States, said the report. COVID-19 was reported as the underlying cause in an estimated 244,986 of those deaths, about 1 out of every 13 deaths.

The overall age-adjusted U.S. death rate decreased by 5.3 percent from 2021 to 2022.

Overall death rates and COVID-19-associated death rates were highest among African American people and Alaska Native people, according to the report.

Provisional death estimates provide an early indication of shifts in mortality trends and can guide public health policies and interventions aimed at reducing mortality, including deaths directly or indirectly associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, said the report.