Trending searches: how many people died from covid
>>> AND THE U.S. HAS REACHED AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE AS WE CONTINUE TO EMERGE FROM THE PANDEMIC. THE NUMBER OF SO-CALLED EXCESS DEATHS IN AMERICA HAS DROPPED TO PRE-COVID LEVELS. NBC BAY AREA'S IAN CULL EXPLAINS WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHAT DOCTORS ARE SEEING ON THE FRONT LINES NOW. >> Reporter: AT THE PEAKS OF THE PANDEMIC, THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS DYING DAILY ABOVE WHAT IS DEFINED AS NORMAL LEVELS SKYROCKETED. CDC DATA SHOWS THAT AT SOME POINTS IT WAS ALMOST 50% HIGHER THAN EXPECTED NATIONWIDE. IN CALIFORNIA, THE RATE WAS MORE THAN 100% HIRE. -- HIGHER. BUT NOW FINALLY, THE EXCESS DEATHS IS AT ABNORMALLY HIGH LEVELS. >> IT SHOWS THAT THE BULK OF BURDEN OF DISEASE HAS GONE AWAY. >> THOSE WHO DIED WITH OR FROM COVID, THE CDC DATA STILL STANDS. YOU CAN SEE IN THIS GRAPHIC, THE ORANGE LINE IS THE EXPECTED NUMBER OF DEATHS FOR A WEEK. THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM ACCIDENTS TO NATURAL CAUSES. DURING THE PANDEMIC, MORE THAN 1.1 MILLION AMERICANS LOST THEIR LIVES TO THE VIRUS. AND NOW FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS, THE NUMBER HAS DROPPED TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. UCSF COVID EXPERT SAYS IT'S A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE. >> WE MOVED FROM ABOUT 2,000 DEATHS A DAY TO RIGHT NOW IN CALIFORNIA MAYBE, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN TEN A DAY. >> THE REPORT AND DATA WAS FIRST COMPILED BY "THE NEW YORK TIMES." DOCTORS SAY THE THREE THINGS THAT HAVE HELPED GET US HERE, MOST PEOPLE HAVE HAD A COVID VACCINE. THE FACT THAT 3/4 OF THE COUNTRY HAS NOW HAD COVID AND A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF TREATMENTS AVAILABLE FOR HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS. >> THERE ARE INTERVENTIONS WE CAN HAVE TO KEEP YOU AWAY FROM THE HOSPITAL, AND TO KEEP YOU AWAY FROM DYING. ONE WOULD SAY THAT ALMOST ALL DEATHS ARE PREVENTABLE AT THIS MOMENT FROM COVID, WHICH IS REMARKABLE. >> Reporter: WHILE DAILY COVID CASES ARE NOT TRACKED ANYMORE, HOSPITALIZATIONS STILL ARE HERE IN CALIFORNIA. AND THOSE ARE ALSO AT ALL TIME LOWS. DR. CHIN-HONG SAYS HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE LEVELS REMAIN LOW FOR ANOTHER YEAR TO BE SURE. >> WE NEED TO SEE ONE CYCLE, ONE WHOLE YEAR OF THE VIRUS TO REALLY MAKE US FEEL CONFIDENT THAT IT'S COME DOWN TO PREDICTABLE PATTERNS. WE'RE STILL IN THE OBSERVATION PHASE. BUT, AGAIN, GOOD NEWS SO FAR FR