Weekly Updates by Select Demographic and Geographic Characteristics

Provisional Death Counts for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Contents
Related Pages

Updated:

List of Topics
  1. Age and sex
  2. Race and Hispanic origin by jurisdiction and by age
  3. Place of death
  4. Comorbidities
  5. Excess deaths
  6. State and county data files
Age and sex
Table 1 has counts of death involving COVID-19 and select causes of death by sex and age group for the United States.  For data on sex and age at the state level, .  For data on sex and age by week, .

Table 1. Deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), pneumonia, and influenza reported to NCHS by sex and age group. United States. Week ending 2/1/2020 to

Updated
Coronavirus deaths by sex and age group

NOTE: Number of deaths reported in this table are the total number of deaths received and coded as of the date of analysis and do not represent all deaths that occurred in that period. Counts of death occurring before or after the reporting period are not included in the table.

*Data during this period are incomplete because of the lag in time between when the death occurred and when the death certificate is completed, submitted to NCHS and processed for reporting purposes. This delay can range from 1 week to 8 weeks or more, depending on the jurisdiction and cause of death.

1Deaths with confirmed or presumed COVID-19, coded to ICD–10 code U07.1

2Counts of deaths involving pneumonia include pneumonia deaths that also involve COVID-19 and exclude pneumonia deaths involving influenza.

3Counts of deaths involving influenza include deaths with pneumonia or COVID-19 also listed as a cause of death.

4Deaths with confirmed or presumed COVID-19, pneumonia, or influenza, coded to ICD–10 codes U07.1 or J09–18.9.

5Population is based on 2018 postcensal estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau
Race and Hispanic origin

Counts of COVID-19 deaths and the distribution of deaths by race and Hispanic origin can provide information about the differential impact of COVID-19 deaths on these populations. Table 2a compares the percent of deaths involving COVID-19 by race and Hispanic origin group1 with weighted and unweighted distributions of the population by race and Hispanic origin for the United States and select jurisdictions. Comparisons between the distribution of COVID-19 deaths and the unweighted population distributions by race/ethnicity are shown to illustrate differences in COVID-19 mortality for a given race/ethnicity group relative to their distribution in the population, and gives a crude estimate of the differential impact of COVID-19 mortality by race and Hispanic origin. For example, approximately one in four COVID-19 deaths are among the non-Hispanic black population but only 13% of the total US population is non-Hispanic black. However, these unweighted distributions do not account for COVID-19 deaths being concentrated in certain areas where the racial and ethnic population distribution differs from that of a given state or the United States overall.

The weighted population distributions are provided to show which groups might exhibit a higher or lower share of COVID-19 mortality, relative to their share of population, when the geographic variation in where COVID-19 outbreaks are occurring are accounted for (see Technical Notes for the methods used to calculate weighted percentages). For example, the majority of COVID-19 deaths have occurred in New York City and other more urban areas where the racial distribution is different than the racial distribution of the United States. The weighted populations reflect the population distribution of the areas experiencing the greatest number of COVID-19 deaths which tend to have a smaller percent of their populations that are non-Hispanic white and a larger percentages that are non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic Asian, or Hispanic. As a consequence, the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 mortality among some groups is smaller after ensuring that the population estimates and percentages of COVID-19 deaths are more comparable on the basis of geography. The magnitude of the difference between the weighted and unweighted distributions varies by state, and will also vary over time as the geographic pattern of COVID-19 mortality changes (i.e., if the pattern shifts from deaths occurring in more urban areas to more suburban or rural areas). There are other important risk factors for COVID-19 mortality that vary by race and Hispanic origin that are not accounted for, such as age. The age distribution of the population and of COVID-19 deaths may vary between race and Hispanic origin groups, and geographic weighting does not account for these differences. Future modifications to this page are planned to provide data on the differential impact of COVID-19 mortality by race and Hispanic origin, accounting for differences by age.

To download the data, .

Table 2a. Count and percent distribution of deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with distribution of the weighted and unweighted percent population by race and Hispanic origin group1, for the United States and jurisdictions with more than 100 deaths available for analysis.

Jurisdictions are included in this table if more than 100 deaths were received and processed by NCHS as of

Updated
Distribution of coronavirus deaths by race/Hispanic origin group

- Data cell has death counts between 1–9 and has been suppressed in accordance with NCHS confidentiality standards.

NOTE: The count and percent of deaths reported in this table represent all deaths received and coded as of the date of analysis and do not represent all deaths that occurred in that period. Data are incomplete because of the lag in time between when the death occurred and when the death certificate is completed, submitted to NCHS and processed for reporting purposes. This delay can range from 1 week to 8 weeks or more, depending on the jurisdiction and cause of death. Provisional counts reported here track approximately 1–2 weeks behind other published data sources on the number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. COVID-19 deaths are defined as having confirmed or presumed COVID-19, and are coded to ICD–10 code U07.1. Weighted population percentages are computed by multiplying county-level population counts by the count of COVID-19 deaths for each county, summing to the state-level, and then estimating the percent of the population within each racial and ethnic group. These weighted population distributions therefore more accurately reflect the geographic locations where COVID-19 outbreaks are occurring. Unweighted population percentages are based on the Single-Race Population Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, for the year 2018 (available from: https://wonder.cdc.gov/single-race-population.html). Jurisdictions are included in this table if more than 100 deaths were received and processed by NCHS as of the data of analysis.

1Race and Hispanic-origin categories are based on the 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards, allowing for the presentation of data by single race and Hispanic origin. These race and Hispanic-origin groups—non-Hispanic single-race white, non-Hispanic single-race black or African American, non-Hispanic single-race American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN), and non-Hispanic single-race Asian—differ from the bridged-race categories shown in most reports using mortality data.

2Includes persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America

3Includes persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent.

4Includes Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, more than one race, race unknown, and Hispanic origin unknown

5Excludes New York City.

Table 2b has death counts for COVID-19 by race and Hispanic origin group by age group for the United States. For data on race and Hispanic origin by age at the state level, .

Table 2b. Distribution of deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by age and by race and Hispanic origin group1, for the United States.

Updated
Distribution of coronavirus deaths by age group and race/Hispanic origin group

NOTE: Nuber of deaths reported in this table are the total number of deaths and coded as of the date of analysis, and do not represent all deaths that occurred in that period. Counts of deaths occurring before or after the reporting period are not included in the table.

*Data during this period are incomplete because of the lage in time between when the death occurred and when the death certificate is completed, submitted to NCHS and processed for reporting purposes. This delay can range from 1 week to 8 weeks or more, depending on the jurisdiction and cause of death.

1Race and Hispanic-origin categories are based on the 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards, allowing for the presentation of data by single race and Hispanic origin. These race and Hispanic-origin groups differ from the bridged-race categories shown in most reports using mortality data.

2Includes persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America.

3Includes persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent.

4Includes race unknown and Hispanic origin unknown.

County data on race and Hispanic origin is available for counties with more than 100 COVID-19 deaths. This data file contains counts of death for COVID-19 and all deaths, the percentage of deaths due to COVID-19 by race and Hispanic origin group, the percentage of all deaths by race and Hispanic origin group, and the percentage of the population by race and Hispanic origin group. Urban-rural classification is also included, based on the 2013 National Center for Health Statistics Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/urban_rural.htm). Deaths are cumulative from the week ending February 1, 2020 to the most recent reporting week

Place of death
Table 3 presents death counts of COVID-19 and other select causes of death by the place of death. For data on place of death at the state level, .

Table 3. Deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), pneumonia, and influenza reported to NCHS by place of death, United States. Week ending 2/1/2020 to .*

Updated
Coronavirus deaths by place of death

NOTE: Number of deaths reported in this table are the total number of deaths received and coded as of the date of analysis and do not represent all deaths that occurred in that period. Counts of deaths occurring before or after the reporting period are not included in the table.

*Data during this period are incomplete because of the lag in time between when the death occurred and when the death certificate is completed, submitted to NCHS and processed for reporting purposes. This delay can range from 1 week to 8 weeks or more, depending on the jurisdiction and cause of death.

1Deaths with confirmed or presumed COVID-19, coded to ICD–10 code U07.1.

2Counts of deaths involving pneumonia include pneumonia deaths that also involve COVID-19 and exclude pneumonia deaths involving influenza.

3Counts of deaths involving influenza include deaths with pneumonia or COVID-19 also listed as a cause of death.
Comorbidities
Table 4 shows the types of health conditions and contributing causes mentioned in conjunction with deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned. For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death. The number of deaths with each condition or cause is shown for all deaths and by age groups. For data on comorbidity, .

Table 4. Conditions contributing to deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), by age group, United States. Week ending 2/1/2020 to .*

Updated

NOTE: Number of conditions reported in this table are tabulated from deaths received and coded as of the date of analysis and do not represent all deaths that occurred in that period. Data for this table are derived from a cut of the NVSS database taken at a particular time, separate from other surveillance tables on this page which are tabulated on the date of update. As a result, the total number of COVID-19 deaths in this table may not match other surveillance tables on this page.

*Data during the period are incomplete because of the lag in time between when the death occurred and when the death certificate is completed, submitted to NCHS and processed for reporting purposes. This delay can range from 1 week to 8 weeks or more.

1Conditions contributing to the death were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICDndash;10). Deaths involving more than one condition (e.g., deaths involving both diabetes and respiratory arrest) were counted in both totals. To avoid counting the same death multiple times, the numbers for different conditions should not be summated.

2Deaths with confirmed or presumed COVID-19, coded to ICD–10 code U07.1
Excess deaths

See the NCHS Excess Deaths Data Visualization.

This data visualization presents data on weekly counts of all-cause mortality by jurisdiction of occurrence. Counts of deaths in the most recent weeks are compared with historical trends to determine whether the number of deaths in recent weeks is significantly higher than expected.

State and County Data Files

Weekly Counts of Deaths by State and Select Causes

  • Final data for 2014–2018 Socrata icon – Weekly counts of leading causes of death based on final underlying cause mortality data for years 2014–2018.
  • Provisional data for 2019–2020 Socrata icon – Weekly counts of leading causes of death based on provisional underlying cause mortality data for 2019–2020, updated weekly.

Provisional COVID-19 Death Counts in the United States by County Socrata icon

  • This file includes deaths involving COVID-19 (coded to ICD–10 code U07.1) and total deaths per county. Counties included in this table had 10 or more COVID-19 deaths at the time of analysis.
Understanding the Numbers: Provisional Death Counts and COVID-19

Provisional death counts deliver the most complete and accurate picture of lives lost to COVID-19. They are based on death certificates, which are the most reliable source of data and contain information not available anywhere else, including comorbid conditions, race and ethnicity, and place of death.

How it Works

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) uses incoming data from death certificates to produce provisional COVID-19 death counts. These include deaths occurring within the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

NCHS also provides summaries that examine deaths in specific categories and in greater geographic detail, such as deaths by county and by race and Hispanic origin.

COVID-19 deaths are identified using a new ICD–10 code. When COVID-19 is reported as a cause of death – or when it is listed as a “probable” or “presumed” cause — the death is coded as U07.1. This can include cases with or without laboratory confirmation.

Why These Numbers are Different

Provisional death counts may not match counts from other sources, such as media reports or numbers from county health departments. Counts by NCHS often track 1–2 weeks behind other data.

  • Death certificates take time to be completed. There are many steps to filling out and submitting a death certificate. Waiting for test results can create additional delays.
  • States report at different rates. Currently, 63% of all U.S. deaths are reported within 10 days of the date of death, but there is significant variation between states.
  • It takes extra time to code COVID-19 deaths. While 80% of deaths are electronically processed and coded by NCHS within minutes, most deaths from COVID-19 must be coded by a person, which takes an average of 7 days.
  • Other reporting systems use different definitions or methods for counting deaths.

Things to know about the data

Provisional counts are not final and are subject to change. Counts from previous weeks are continually revised as more records are received and processed.

Provisional data are not yet complete. Counts will not include all deaths that occurred during a given time period, especially for more recent periods. However, we can estimate how complete our numbers are by looking at the average number of deaths reported in previous years.

Death counts should not be compared across states. Some states report deaths on a daily basis, while other states report deaths weekly or monthly. State vital record reporting may also be affected or delayed by COVID-19 related response activities.

For more detailed technical information, visit the Provisional Death Counts for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Technical Notes page.

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Page last reviewed: July 8, 2020
Content source: National Center for Health Statistics