WASHINGTON: Covid-19 was the third leading cause of death in the United States in 2020, according to provisional data released on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Heart disease was responsible for about 690,000 deaths, cancer for 598,000 deaths and Covid for 345,000 deaths, according to a new report.

These were followed by unintentional injury, stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia and kidney disease, in line with previous years.

Covid death rates were highest among adults aged 85 and over, Black people, Native Americans, and males.

Overall, 3,358,814 people died in 2020, excluding deaths of residents of US territories and foreign countries,

The age-adjusted death rate increased by 15.9 percent, from 715.2 to 828.7 deaths per 100,000.

Age-adjustment is a statistical method used to allow populations with different age structures to be compared.

Covid-19 was reported as the underlying cause of death or a contributing cause of death for 377,883 deaths — or 345,323 deaths where it was the underlying cause, which was 91 percent of cases.