Every week, we’re seeing a new set of states dealing with a surge in coronavirus cases. All over the country, officials have instituted different ways to manage the outbreak, and as a result, the rise and fall of daily cases is unique from region to region. But COVID death rate is a different story. The states that have suffered the most coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic started are none of the current hotspots. In fact, they’ve been the same for months.
The states with the highest fatality rates were among the first to see the lion’s share of coronavirus cases, when medical experts were struggling to figure out how best to treat the deadly contagion. It is a novel coronavirus after all, with no similar predecessor. As time has passed, however, states that have seen later spikes in cases have benefited greatly from the medical advancements that’ve been discovered since the start of the pandemic. As a result, mortality rates will likely end up much lower in states seeing surges now as opposed to the earlier epicenters.
There have been nearly 167,000 deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States as of August 13. The following are the five states that have seen the highest rate of COVID deaths compared to their population size. And for more states in trouble right now, check out These 7 States Need to Lock Down Right Now, Harvard Researchers Say.
–
