CDC: COVID-19 third leading cause of death last year, disparities decline

COVID-19 remained the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer in 2021, according to preliminary data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 death rates were highest among people aged 85 and older; Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native populations; and males. 

According to a separate CDC report on the data, disparities in COVID-19 death rates decreased between 14% and 40.2% in 2021 for all racial and ethnic groups except Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders. The authors said the reductions “reflect the widespread impact of effective interventions, including vaccination, deployed since January 2020 to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 disease and death.”