COVID-19, Not Influenza, Causing Moralities in November

Based on National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance data available on November 25, 2020, 11.3% of the deaths occurring during the week ending November 21, 2020 (week #47), were due to pneumonia, influenza, and COVID-19 (PIC).

Among the 2,000 PIC deaths reported by NCHS for week #47, over 1,100 had COVID-19 listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death on the death certificate, and just 5 listed influenza, indicating that the current increase in PIC mortality is due primarily to COVID-19, and not influenza.