Since in the US half the people I know have the Covid plague again, this cause of death chart has captured my interest again…
Comparing COVID-19 to other leading causes of death in the United States from 2014 to 2024 reveals significant shifts, particularly during the pandemic years. Below is a summary of the leading causes of death for selected years, highlighting the impact of COVID-19.
Key Observations:
• 2014–2019: Heart disease and cancer consistently remained the top two causes of death.
• 2020–2021: COVID-19 emerged as a significant cause of death, ranking 3rd in both years.
• 2022: COVID-19 dropped to the 4th leading cause of death.
• 2023: COVID-19 further declined to the 10th position.
• 2024: COVID-19 was no longer among the top 10 leading causes of death.
Data Sources:
• 2014–2019: National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reports.
• 2020–2023: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provisional data.
• 2024: Preliminary estimates from the CDC.
Why did the virus kill fewer people in subsequent years? Viruses evolving to be less fatal isn’t exactly accurate, but it’s close. While it’s true that very deadly viruses that kill their hosts quickly might limit their own spread, this doesn’t mean all viruses will eventually become harmless. Sometimes, being more harmful can actually help a virus spread more effectively. For example, if a virus causes symptoms like coughing, which can help it spread to others, it might not evolve to become less harmful. Other factors, like when symptoms appear compared to when someone is contagious, viral load and asymptomatic incubation periods, allow spread of the virus without showing symptoms. How long the virus survives outside a host, also plays a role in how it evolves over time. Repeated exposure in humans creates opportunity for the human immune system to protect from future infections, and general paranoia and PTSD habituate precautionary measures such as cleaning surfaces, washing hands, and keeping additional spacing not considered necessary pre-2020.
