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COVID-19 is now the third-leading cause of death in the US, killing more Americans than Alzheimer’s disease, accidents and diabetes.

Coronavirus-related deaths trailed only those from heart disease and cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“COVID is now the No. 3 cause of death in the US — ahead of accidents, injuries, lung disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and many, many other causes,” Thomas Frieden, former director of the CDC, told CNN.

The death rate is also much higher in the US than in many other countries, Frieden added.

“Last week, Americans were eight times more likely to get killed by COVID than were Europeans,” he said.

The US has recorded at least 170,000 deaths out of the 5.4 million Americans who have been infected, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.