U.S. States Are Among the Hardest Hit Places in the World by COVID-19

I recently saw a sobering statistic about the impact of COVID-19 on the United States – 1 in every 500 residents of New Jersey has died from COVID-19. Looking at other states and comparing them to countries, most of the deadliest places are U.S. states. Among the top 15, 11 are U.S. states. New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts, which suffered significant deaths from the virus in the Spring, are the top three. The only country that can compete with the top 10 U.S. states is Belgium. Italy, which suffered from a severe outbreak in the Spring, is not even in the top 10. See the table below, which is total deaths per 100,000 people due to COVID-19 through December 13, 2020.

The states in the top 15 represent three regions – the Northeast, South, and Midwest. North Dakota and South Dakota are currently in the top two for the latest weekly average of deaths due to COVID-19, so they will likely continue to move up the list. Iowa, which is just outside the top 15 in the table, is currently the third deadliest state.

Among new cases, Rhode Island is currently experiencing the highest rate in the country, so it will likely continue to rise on this list in the future. Indiana, in the top 20 worldwide, is currently fourth in new cases, so it may crack the top 15 in the next month. In the South, the state of Tennessee is currently experiencing the second most new cases in the United States, behind only Rhode Island, so to my fellow Tennesseans, be careful and mask up!