COVID exacerbates maternal and child mortality rates in the US

Child and teen deaths in the US have increased by 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by fatal injuries, according to an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The increase in pediatric mortality is a dramatic change after decades of progress from medical advancements in pediatric diseases. The spike is largely driven by an increase in injury-related deaths, such as suicide, homicide, overdose deaths, and car accidents, which all began climbing before the pandemic. The pandemic may have also further impeded trauma care and emergency services as the health care system was overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients.