COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in 2020, says CDC

COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the United States last year, after heart disease and cancer, according to a report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The figures are the latest reminder of the disease's deadly toll on the United States, which the CDC says has claimed more than 547,000 lives since the beginning of the pandemic.  The agency said COVID-19 was the cause or a contributing factor in the deaths of around 377,883 people in the U.S. in 2020, or just over 11% of the estimated 3,358,814 total who passed away last year.