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Is COVID-19 On Track To Be Third Leading Cause Of Death In Arizona?

More than 5,000 Arizonans have  died from COVID-19. And that number will likely increase, meaning the coronavirus could be on track to be the third-leading cause of death in Arizona. 

In 2017, the top three leading causes of death in Arizona were heart disease, cancer and accidents. More than 4,000 Arizonans died from accidents.

But here’s where things get curious. Slightly more than 5,000 people have died from the coronavirus to date. So is COVID-19 the number three cause of death?

According to a spokesperson from the state department of health, it’s too soon to tell.

While there has been an increase in overall deaths compared to last year, there’s a lag time in collecting death certificate information. And death certificate counts can be lower than what is being captured now for initial reporting. The final report on causes of deaths will be out in late 2021. 

→  Get The Latest News On COVID-19 In Arizona 

KJZZ senior field correspondent Kathy Ritchie has 20 years of experience reporting and writing stories for national and local media outlets — nearly a decade of it has been spent in public media.