COVID-19 will likely be 3rd leading cause of death locally in 2020, new data reveals

The novel coronavirus will likely be the third leading cause of death in Mecklenburg County in 2020, trailing only cancer and heart disease.

And more loss of life could be indirectly linked to the pandemic, including those with life-threatening injuries or illnesses who avoidgoing to the emergency room or doctor out of fear of contracting COVID-19, Mecklenburg Public Health Director Gibbie Harris told county commissioners late Tuesday.

As of Wednesday morning, health department statistics show 365 of the nearly 1 million people living in Charlotte and surrounding towns have died from the virus. A spike in COVID-19 fatalities — an average 2 to 3 deaths per day — came in August and September, following the height of Mecklenburg’s overall caseload in July.

Preliminary mortality data illustrates the devastating impact of COVID-19 so far in the Charlotte area — with officials saying even more deaths are expected to be logged, pending review from state and local health officials.

Mecklenburg has already recorded 13% more deaths in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019, Harris said Tuesday.

“Half of that 13% can be accounted for with COVID deaths...” the health director said.

“(It’s) a little bit of a sobering thought for us. This is the first time in decades that we’ve had an infectious disease in the top 10 causes of death in this county.”

A deadly virus

Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in Mecklenburg in 2019, but coronavirus bumped it to No. 11 in the first half of 2020.

Harris said there’s been a slight uptick in suicides recently, though exact figures were not immediately available. Medical experts and state health leaders have repeatedly raised concern over the pandemic and related shutdowns negatively impacting mental wellness in communities across North Carolina.

Like last year, cancer and heart disease are the top two causes of death locally. In the first half of 2020, 655 people in Mecklenburg died from cancer and 630 people from heart disease.

For now, coronavirus and stroke are tied for the third leading cause of death in the first half of 2020. There were 186 fatalities reported for both medical conditions through June of this year.

Public health experts consider the number of COVID-19 deaths a “lagging” indicator of the virus’ spread in a community.

In August, for example, there were 81 deaths attributed to coronavirus in Mecklenburg, corresponding with a marked decrease in the public’s adherence to social distancing in mid-summer. Hospital leaders and those in charge of the local public health response agreed the Charlotte area had likely hit a “peak” of cases in July but it took weeks for death reports to emerge showing the related rise in fatalities.

Similar trends are found statewide. Early on in the pandemic, North Carolina health statistics showed far more people were dying from COVID-19 than seasonal flu. Nationally, health advisers warned the virus would take more lives than flu seasons.

Top 10 causes of death

In 2019, these were the top 10 leading causes of death in Mecklenburg County:

1. Cancer: 1,344

2. Heart disease: 1,193

3. Unintentional injury: 377

4. Stroke: 361

5. Alzheimer’s disease: 342

6. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 248

7. Diabetes: 208

8. Kidney disease: 144

9. Homicide: 100

10. Suicide: 86

In 2020, coronavirus is added to the list. From January through June of 2020, these were the 10 leading causes of death in Mecklenburg County:

1. Cancer: 655

2. Heart disease: 630

3. COVID-19: 186

4. Stroke: 186

5. Alzheimer’s disease: 175

6. Unintentional injury: 169

7. COPD: 139

8. Diabetes: 100

9. Kidney disease: 85

10. Homicide: 53

This story was originally published October 7, 2020 at 12:42 PM.