COVID-19 death rates vary dramatically across U.S.: analysis

NEW YORK, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Death rates from COVID-19 varied dramatically across the United States, ABC News reported on Wednesday, citing a major new analysis.

COVID death rates in states like Arizona and New Mexico were roughly four times higher than in states like Hawaii, New Hampshire and Maine, researchers found.

"The highest COVID-19 death rates were seen in Arizona with 581 deaths per 100,000 and Washington, D.C., with 526 deaths per 100,000," it said.

By comparison, the lowest rates of death were seen in Hawaii with 147 deaths per 100,000, New Hampshire with 215 deaths per 100,000, and Maine with 218 deaths per 100,000, it added.

The authors of the study noted that Arizona's high death rate from COVID-19 may be due to "inequality, some poverty ... ultimately (low) vaccination rates and behaviors didn't line up to have good outcomes."

States that did well, like Hawaii, New Hampshire and Washington state, are states, in most cases, "(that) have done a good job restricting travel, and in some cases have less poverty, less inequality, and relatively high vaccination rates."

The report, published Monday in medical journal The Lancet, looked at the death rates from COVID-19 throughout the country between January 2020 and July 2022.