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A12 HEALTH
Wednesday 23 december 2020
U.S. deaths in 2020 top 3 million, by far most ever counted

By MIKE STOBBE Suicide deaths dropped in
AP Medical Writer 2019 compared with 2018,
NEW YORK (AP) — This is the but early information sug-
deadliest year in U.S. his- gests they have not contin-
tory, with deaths expected ued to drop this year, An-
to top 3 million for the first derson and others said.
time — due mainly to the Drug overdose deaths,
coronavirus pandemic. meanwhile, got much
Final mortality data for this worse.
year will not be available Before the coronavirus
for months. But preliminary even arrived, the U.S. was
numbers suggest that the in the midst of the deadliest
United States is on track to drug overdose epidemic in
see more than 3.2 million its history.
deaths this year, or at least Data for all of 2020 is not
400,000 more than in 2019. yet available. But last week
U.S. deaths increase most the CDC reported more
years, so some annual rise than 81,000 drug overdose
in fatalities is expected. But deaths in the 12 months
the 2020 numbers amount ending in May, making it
to a jump of about 15%, the highest number ever
and could go higher once recorded in a one-year pe-
all the deaths from this riod.
month are counted. Experts think the pandem-
That would mark the larg- ic's disruption to in-person
est single-year percent- treatment and recovery
age leap since 1918, when services may have been a
tens of thousands of U.S. factor.
soldiers died in World War I In this Saturday, April 18, 2020 file photo, mortician Cordarial O. Holloway, foreground left, funeral People also are more likely
director Robert L. Albritten, foreground right, and funeral attendants Eddie Keith, background left,
and hundreds of thousands and Ronald Costello place a casket into a hearse in Dawson, Ga. to be taking drugs alone
of Americans died in a flu Associated Press — without the benefit of
pandemic. Deaths rose a friend or family member
46% that year, compared said Robert Anderson of the The U.S. coronavirus epi- have been an unexpected who can call 911 or ad-
with 1917. Centers for Disease Control demic has been a big driv- number of deaths from cer- minister overdose-reversing
COVID-19 has killed more and Prevention. er of deaths this year, both tain types of heart and cir- medication.
than 318,000 Americans The CDC counted directly and indirectly. culatory diseases, diabetes But perhaps a bigger factor
and counting. Before it 2,854,838 U.S. deaths last The virus was first identi- and dementia, Anderson are the drugs themselves:
came along, there was year, or nearly 16,000 more fied in China last year, and said. COVID-19 caused supply
reason to be hopeful about than 2018. That's fairly good the first U.S. cases were re- Many of those, too, may be problems for dealers, so
U.S. death trends. news: Deaths usually rise ported this year. But it has related to COVID. The vi- they are increasingly mix-
The nation's overall mortal- by about 20,000 to 50,000 become the third leading rus could have weakened ing cheap and deadly fen-
ity rate fell a bit in 2019, due each year, mainly due to cause of death, behind patients already struggling tanyl into heroin, cocaine
to reductions in heart dis- the nation's aging, and only heart disease and with those conditions, or and methamphetamine,
ease and cancer deaths. growing, population. cancer. For certain periods could have diminished the experts said.
And life expectancy Indeed, the age-adjusted this year, COVID-19 was the care they were getting, he "I don't suspect there are
inched up — by several death rate dropped about No. 1 killer. said. a bunch of new people
weeks — for the second 1% in 2019, and life expec- But some other types Early in the epidemic, some who suddenly started using
straight year, according tancy rose by about six of deaths also have in- were optimistic that car drugs because of COVID. If
to death certificate data weeks to 78.8 years, the creased. crash deaths would drop anything, I think the supply
released Tuesday by the CDC reported. A burst of pneumonia cas- as people stopped com- of people who are already
Centers for Disease Control "It was actually a pretty es early this year may have muting or driving to social using drugs is more con-
and Prevention. good year for mortality, as been COVID-19 deaths events. Data on that is not taminated," said Shannon
But life expectancy for 2020 things go," said Anderson, that simply weren't recog- yet in, but anecdotal re- Monnat, a Syracuse Univer-
could end up dropping as who oversees CDC death nized as such early in the ports suggest there was no sity researcher who studies
much as three full years, statistics. epidemic. But there also such decline. drug overdose trends.q

Can employers make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory?

By The Associated Press make rules for the workplace, said Dorit Re- cinations, there are reasons they might not
Can employers make COVID-19 vaccination iss, a law professor who specializes in vaccine want to.
mandatory? policies at the University of California Hastings Tracking compliance with mandatory vac-
Yes, with some exceptions. College of the Law. "It's their business." cination would be an administrative burden,
Experts say employers can require employees The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Com- said Michelle S. Strowhiro, an employment
to take safety measures, including vaccina- mission has allowed companies to mandate adviser and lawyer at McDermott Will & Em-
tion. That doesn't necessarily mean you would the flu and other vaccines, and has also indi- ery. Employers would also have to manage
get fired if you refuse, but you might need to cated they can require COVID-19 vaccines. exemption requests — not to mention legal
sign a waiver or agree to work under specific There are exceptions; for example, people claims that might arise.
conditions to limit any risk you might pose to can request exemptions for medical or reli- As a result, many employers will likely strongly
yourself or others. gious reasons. encourage vaccination without requiring it,
"Employers generally have wide scope" to And even though employers can require vac- Strowhiro said.q