Coronavirus

CDC Expects COVID-19 To Be A Leading Cause Of U.S. Deaths In 2020

​CDC mortality statisticians told CNN the coronavirus will likely end up among the top 10 leading causes of death by year's end.

CDC Expects COVID-19 To Be A Leading Cause Of U.S. Deaths In 2020
Chris Pizzello / AP
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The CDC is predicting the coronavirus will be one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. in 2020.

Mortality statisticians with the agency told CNN on Thursday "that based on the [number] of COVID-19 deaths so far," the virus will likely end up among the top 10 leading causes of death in the country by year's end.

Because the CDC can't determine leading causes of deaths until after 2020, they said it's still up in the air as to where the coronavirus will end up on the list. In 2018, the last year for which final CDC data is available, heart disease took the top spot, with more than 650,000 related deaths that year. 

The U.S. currently has the highest number of COVID-19 infections and deaths in the world, with more than 4 million confirmed cases and roughly 145,000 recorded deaths as of Friday afternoon.

Contains footage from CNN.