Death toll at start of Covid-19 pandemic likely higher than US count, study says

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Associated PressMarch 18, 2026 at 07:54 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

A new study published in Science Advances estimates that the actual US death toll from COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 was significantly higher than the official count. Researchers using AI estimate approximately 155,000 COVID-19 deaths, about 16% of the total, went uncounted, particularly those occurring outside of hospitals. These uncounted deaths disproportionately affected Hispanic people and other people of color, especially in the early months of the pandemic and in states like Alabama, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. The undercounting is attributed to a lack of testing outside hospitals, especially early in the pandemic, and inconsistencies in death investigation systems across the country. Researchers suggest that an antiquated death investigation system and partisan opinions may have contributed to the inaccurate counts.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Science Advances 40% Oklahoma 50% Virginia Commonwealth University 50% University of Minnesota 50% Boston University 50% Alabama 50% Andrew Stokes 60% Steven Woolf 60% Elizabeth Wrigley-Field 60% Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 70% United States ×290% Covid-19 pandemic ×695%

Keywords

covid-19 deaths 100% uncounted deaths 90% pandemic 80% death toll 70% disparities 60% people of color 50% death investigation system 50% artificial intelligence 50% access to care 40% hispanic people 40%

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Negative

Score: -0.40

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The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

United States

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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covid-19 deaths uncounted deaths pandemic death toll disparities people of color death investigation system artificial intelligence access to care hispanic people

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