Total number of U.S. coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and deaths as of September 2, 2021

As of September 4, 2021, the number of both confirmed and presumptive positive cases of the COVID-19 disease reported in the United States had reached nearly 40 million and around 645 thousand deaths were reported among these cases.

Coronavirus deaths by age in the U.S.

The risk of infection remains high, while daily new cases have been falling since the start of 2021, they have started to rise again since late July. Underlying health conditions can worsen cases of coronavirus, and case fatality rates among confirmed COVID-19 patients increase with age. In New York City, the death rate for adults aged 65 to 74 is estimated to be around 1,131 per 100,000 people. As of August 23, 2021, there had been over 43,300 COVID-19 deaths throughout New York State.

Where has this coronavirus come from?

Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses transmitted between animals and people that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. The novel coronavirus that is currently infecting humans was already circulating among certain animal species. The first human case of this new coronavirus strain was reported in China at the end of December 2019. The coronavirus was named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and its associated disease is known as COVID-19.