Covid US death toll: 500,000 lives don loss, see wetin e fit look like

Pillars of light light up di sky behind di United States Marine Corps War Memorial, on di eve of di Inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, di United States 46th president, on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, in Arlington, VA

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Published

President Joe Biden don address di nation as di US mark 500,000 deaths from Covid-19, di highest toll of any kontri for di world.

"As a nation, we no fit accept such terrible fate. We need to resist becoming unfeeling to di sorrow," e tok.

Di president and vice-president, and dia spouses, also observe a moment of silence outside di White House during one candle-lighting ceremony.

More dan 28.1 million Americans don dey infected - anoda global record.

US don see more dan twice as many deaths as di next hardest-hit kontri, Brazil.

But na also one kontri wey get di most population.

In terms of deaths per 100,000 population, e dey rank ninth, behind kontries like di UK, Czech Republic, Italy and Portugal, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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Top 10 kontries by Covid deaths per capita
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Di first known US death from di virus come on 6 February 2020.

E mean say half a million lives don go in just over one year, more dan di US death tolls from World War I, World War II and di Vietnam War combined.

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Visual showing 500,000 people
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To put am in perspective...

  • If every death come from di city of Atlanta, nearly di entire population go don wipe out.
  • If you do one minute silence every time for every pesin wey die from Covid for di US, e go take 347 days, almost one full year, to honour dem all.
  • Di death toll dey equal to di total crowd from four days of di Coachella Music Festival, one of di biggest annual music gatherings for di US.
  • And e be nearly five times di attendance for di most highly attended Super Bowl ever - for di Rose Bowl for California, for 1977 (103,985)

Death happun in three waves

Di first wave of di spring begin as most of di kontri go into lockdown and di second wave follow though e dey less severe - in di period from late summer to early autumn.

Di third rise over di past three months hit communities and affect dem badly over di holidays.

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Coronavirus deaths for di US
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How Covid compare with cancer?

E dey among di leading causes of death in the US.

Last year, na di third leading cause of death overall, with only heart disease and cancer claiming more US lives.

At times, especially during di third wave of cases, e increase higher dan both heart disease and cancer.

Di death toll for di US dey more dan 10 times higher dan di number of Americans wey die from influenza and pneumonia di year before di pandemic.

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Top causes of death for US
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Life expectancy for di US fall by one full year for di first half of 2020, change experts say di pandemic cause.

Di life expectancy for di entire population drop to 77.8 years, according to one report by di Centers for Disease Control.

Who be dis 500,000 pipo?

Covid-19 no spare any part of di kontri.

At di start of di pandemic, e dey largely concentrated for few large cities with different communities of colour, like New York and Detroit.

But towards di end of last year, some of di least populated US states - including North and South Dakota - see some of di worst outbreaks, not just for America, but around di world.

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US states wey Covid-19 hammer
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Racial minorities - except for Asian Americans - bin dey more likely to die of di virus dan white Americans. Black pipo in particular na di hardest hit, as dem die at 1.4 times di rate of white people.

Indigenous communities in particular na di hardest hit per capita.

Data suggest say dis racial difference na sake of community-level social factors, such as higher likelihood say pipo of colour fit dey work for essential occupations, dey rely on public transport and live for crowded housing.

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Racial differences in Covid-19 deaths
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