Note: An updated version of this analysis is here. COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death across most of 2020, but in December 2020 and early 2021, the illness surged and briefly became the number one leading cause of death in the U.S., far surpassing even cancer and heart disease deaths in those months. … Continue reading COVID-19 continues to be a leading cause of death in the U.S. in August 2021