COVID-19 was the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 45 and 54 in 2021, accounting for 16.8% of all deaths in that age group, found a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. It was the third leading cause of death during the height of the pandemic in 2020, surpassed only by cancer and heart disease.
Among people 85 and older, COVID-19 was ranked as the second leading cause of death in 2020 (110 000 deaths, 12.8% of deaths), and third in 2021 (69 000, 8.9% of deaths).
