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. 2023 May 5;72(18):493-496.
doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7218a4.

COVID-19 Mortality Update - United States, 2022

Farida B Ahmad  1 , Jodi A Cisewski  1 , Jiaquan Xu  1 , Robert N Anderson  1
Affiliations

COVID-19 Mortality Update - United States, 2022

Farida B Ahmad et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. .

Abstract

The National Center for Health Statistics' (NCHS) National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) collects and reports annual mortality statistics using U.S. death certificate data. Provisional data, which are based on the current flow of death certificate data to NCHS, provide an early estimate of deaths before the release of final data.* This report summarizes provisional U.S. COVID-19 death data for 2022. In 2022, COVID-19 was the underlying (primary) or contributing cause in the chain of events leading to 244,986 deaths† that occurred in the United States. During 2021-2022, the estimated age-adjusted COVID-19-associated death rate decreased 47%, from 115.6 to 61.3 per 100,000 persons. COVID-19 death rates were highest among persons aged ≥85 years, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations, and males. In 76% of deaths with COVID-19 listed on the death certificate, COVID-19 was listed as the underlying cause of death. In the remaining 24% of COVID-19 deaths, COVID-19 was a contributing cause. As in 2020 and 2021, during 2022, the most common location of COVID-19 deaths was a hospital inpatient setting (59%). However, an increasing percentage occurred in the decedent's home (15%), or a nursing home or long-term care facility (14%).§ Provisional COVID-19 death estimates provide an early indication of shifts in mortality trends and can help guide public health policies and interventions aimed at reducing COVID-19-associated mortality.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Figures

FIGURE
FIGURE
Percentage of COVID-19–associated deaths, by location of death — National Vital Statistics System, United States, January 2020–December 2022. Abbreviations: ER = emergency room; LTCF = long-term care facility. * Percentages are provisional. National Vital Statistics System provisional data for 2022 are incomplete, and data from December 2022 are less complete because of reporting lags. Data for 2020 and 2021 are final. These data include deaths that occurred in the United States among residents of U.S. territories and foreign countries. † Deaths with COVID-19 listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death, with International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (code U07.1).
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