Fatal cases of COVID-19 hit 24,348 Tuesday, according to the Bing COVID-19 Tracker. This is out of 587,752 confirmed cases. According to the Gun Violence Archive, gun suicides totaled 24,090 last year. This was 61% of all gun violence deaths in 2019. It took only 45 days for COVID-19 deaths to match the suicide tally for the entire 2019 calendar year.

Gun suicides this year have hit 6,930 through April 14. Fatal cases of COVID-19 in New York City have reached 7,349 so far. The figures show how quickly COVID-19 fatalities have grown. The lowest of the widely circulated models is that COVID-19 deaths will reach 60,000 by the end of August. If self-distancing and sheltering at home end too quickly, this number is expected to rise well above that.

The gun suicide figure will not be the only horrible annual death number COVID-19 will pass. Total gun violence deaths were 39,442 last year, which included murders, accidental deaths and suicides.

There were 46,802 deaths due to opioid overdoses in 2018, based on an analysis of the most recent available data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There were a total of 67,367 drug overdose deaths. COVID-19 deaths almost will certainly cross this level sometime in the fall.

COVID-19 figures are often compared to influenza. Deaths from this were 55,672, according to the CDC. Deaths from diabetes were 83,564 in a year. In addition, Alzheimer’s disease killed 121,404 Americans. Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases) killed 146,383. Chronic lower respiratory diseases killed 160,201. And Accidents (unintentional injuries) killed 169,936.

Not that long ago, federal officials set the possible death toll between 100,000 and 240,000, based on models at the time. This was before it was revised down to 60,000. However, the lower number is based on several assumptions. Social distancing is first among these. People who do not self-quarantine for the suggested 14 days also could cause a widening infection rate. The number of carriers without symptoms is still impossible to count. Blood testing is the primary reason for that. Some of these tests produce inaccurate results. For the death rate to remain below the larger forecasts, blood tests will be important.

Right now, the public is focused on the 60,000 deaths by August figure. It may be correct. However, the fact that COVID-19 deaths have passed gun suicides in such a short time is a sign of what could happen if there is a second wave of infections, perhaps because Americans start to be casual about the disease again.

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