EXCLUSIVE: Why Are Non-COVID-19 Deaths Spiking Among Prime-Age Americans?

A doctor checks on a 34-year-old COVID-19 patient at a medical center in Tarzana, Calif., on Sept. 2, 2021. Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images

Americans have been dying at a significantly higher rate over the past two years, but the COVID-19 pandemic tells only part of the story.

Among seniors, the pandemic could explain the increase in mortality more easily than among younger people, where there’s a gap requiring further explanation. Overall, there appear to be three distinct patterns in the data based on age.