Source: Will Michaels & Celeste Gracia, WUNC, 12/3/20


North Carolina's overall death rate is projected to rise by 5% this year, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state Department of Health and Human Services says the death rate has been rising for the last several years, but officials expected it to increase by 2-3%. At her latest press briefing, state Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said COVID-19 has been blamed for more than 5,000 deaths this year. To give some perspective, just under 1,500 people died from the flu in the past 10 years.

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