Partly True: The U.S. has the highest death toll from COVID-19.

By: Annie Priya
November 22 2021

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Though the U.S. is certainly among the most affected countries. comparing COVID death tolls is a difficult task.As of May 2021, COVID-19 has claimed over three million lives globally. The U.S., Brazil, India, and Mexico are some of the worst affected countries in the world. According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, Brazil (and not the U.S.) has had the highest number of deaths per 100,000 people. However, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center also states that the U.S. has the highest death toll overall, with over 585,986 lives lost as of May 17. The World Health Organization states a similar number, saying that, as of May 17, there have been 580,166 deaths due to COVID-19 in the U.S. This is higher than other countries, such as Brazil (which has lost over 434,715 lives as of May 17, according to WHO), and India, which has lost 274,390 lives as of May 17, also according to WHO). According to data compiled by the New York Times (accessed on May 17), the U.S. has the highest number of overall deaths at 585,572. That said, according to the same data but looking at the number of deaths per capita, countries such as Hungary, Czechia, and the U.K. all fare worse. Despite all this, comparing the COVID death tolls of different countries is a difficult task. As the Economist reports, "official statistics in many countries exclude victims who did not test positive for coronavirus before dying—which can be a substantial majority in places with little capacity for testing." According to excess death figures compiled by the Economist (which it last updated on 11 May), Peru has the highest number of excess deaths, followed by Bulgaria, and Mexico. Bearing in mind the difficulty of reporting COVID-19 death tolls, we have marked this claim as partly true. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.