Coronavirus Is Now the Leading Cause of Death in the US COVID-19 is now killing more Americans per day than heart disease or cancer.
According to data published Tuesday, the virus is killing 1,970 people on average per day in the U.S. Over the course of eight days, COVID-19 caused more than 12,000 deaths.
On Tuesday, the U.S. saw 1,939 deaths in a single day.
The number represents the highest number of deaths in a single day of any country since the outbreak began in December.
Health professionals estimate that if the death rate remains consistent, nearly half a million Americans could die by mid-March.
Coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday that new models project a lower death rate of close to 60,000 Americans.
According to Johns Hopkins University, as of Friday morning, more than 16,703 deaths have been caused by the coronavirus in the U.S.
