As the official U.S. COVID-19 death toll passed 663,000 this past week, this means that roughly 1 in every 500 Americans has died of COVID-19.
Sadly, as we wrote about last week, this number is likely an *underestimate* of the actual death toll.
It also obscures social disparities in the burden of COVID-19 mortality. For example, in the 40-64 age group, 1 in 780 Americans overall have died of COVID-19. For Hispanic Americans this number is 1 in 390, for Black Americans 1 in 480, and for White Americans 1 in 1300.
While the Nerdy Girls are all about statistics, today we want to remember that each COVID death represents not just a number but a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker, a parent, a spouse, a child, a sibling. Each of these deaths leaves behind many, many other bereaved friends and loved ones. Despite the number of lives touched, sometimes it feels like we haven’t been able to collectively mourn our losses.
The twitter account “Faces of Covid” was started in March 2020 by Alex Goldstein as a way to bring human faces and stories to the COVID-19 statistics.
From time to time, we will share some of these posts to remember the faces of those lost and to remind us all *why* creating and sharing accurate COVID-19 information is so important.
There is also a new installation at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for the next month, where a white flag has been planted for each American life lost to COVID-19 (and new flags are being added daily for new deaths). See here for a video of this moving tribute.
Our love goes out to all our followers who have suffered such heart-breaking loss during this pandemic.
Love,
Those Nerdy Girls
To submit a loved one to “Faces of Covid”
“The pandemic marks another grim milestone: 1 in 500 Americans have died of covid-19”
“670,000 flags on the National Mall pay tribute to America’s devastating COVID-19 losses”
