Is the death toll from COVID-19 approaching that of some of the worst events in US history?
The COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. reached 286,000 on December 9, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC recorded 6,489 COVID-19 deaths on April 15, 2020, the highest single-day toll it has reported. Since the first reported case, the U.S. has experienced an average 906 deaths per day, with a steady rise since October.
The CDC estimates the toll could reach up to 329,000 by December 26. World War II claimed 418,000 American lives. The Civil War, the U.S.'s deadliest military conflict, claimed at least 620,000 lives. The 1900 Galveston hurricane, America's deadliest recorded natural disaster, killed between 6,000 and 12,000 people. The COVID-19 estimate, though grim, remains for now below the estimated 675,000 Americans killed during the 1918 flu pandemic.