Nearly 300,000 more people have died in the United States in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic than expected based on historical trends, with about two-thirds of the deaths due to COVID-19 illnesses, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report released on Tuesday.
The report estimated that 299,028 more people died between January 26 and October 3 than the average numbers from past years would have indicated.
The CDC did not provide specific explanations for the excess deaths but said it expects the deaths to include those related directly or indirectly to COVID-19.