More than
000,000
people have died from coronavirus in the U.S.

The disease caused by the novel coronavirus has killed at least   people in the United States since February 2020 and enveloped nearly every part of the country.

New cases and deaths declined dramatically as more and more Americans received vaccinations, although some places are experiencing a recent uptick in cases as the more contagious delta variant of the virus circulates.

The deadliest month was January 2021, when an average of more than 3,100 people died every day of covid-19. On six days that month, the number topped 4,000. On Feb. 22, the U.S. death toll surpassed half a million people. On June 15, it topped 600,000.

By then, the seven-day average of deaths per day had dropped to about 350, and shortly afterward, new cases per day fell below 12,000. But by July, the number of new cases was rising again in more than two dozen states.

Meanwhile, the pace of vaccinations peaked at more than 4 million on some days in April, racing against time as more variants began to spread. By July, more than half the U.S. population had received at least one dose of vaccine.

[Tracking vaccination numbers in every state]

Seven-day averages show trends better than single-day values, because states’ reporting of new cases and deaths tends to drop or stop altogether on weekends.

Numbers have fluctuated as testing and reporting criteria have evolved, and spikes in the deaths chart above reflect large, one-time adjustments. For example, in mid-April 2020, New York City added more than 3,700 deaths, and on June 25, New Jersey added more than 1,800. Other single-day spikes have occurred as states have updated their reporting procedures and are noted below those charts.

Health officials, including the country’s top infectious-disease expert, Anthony S. Fauci, have said the virus has killed more people than official death tolls indicate.

[The unseen covid-19 risk for unvaccinated people]

[Mapping the spread of the coronavirus worldwide]

The virus was initially concentrated in New York, where at least   have died, and in places where vulnerable people congregate, such as nursing homes, factories and prisons. It eventually blanketed the country, reaching into some of the most remote areas.

In the absence of a federal plan, containment strategies varied by state and locality and often reflected political polarization. The mounting crush of cases in fall and winter prompted officials of both parties to tighten mask mandates and reimpose restrictions on gatherings to try to squelch the spread.

Immediately after his Jan. 20 inauguration, President Biden issued mask mandates on federal property, in airports and on many modes of transportation in hopes of buying time for a vaccination program to ramp up.

On May 13, he and Vice President Harris strode into the Rose Garden without masks to celebrate health officials’ surprise announcement that fully vaccinated people no longer needed masks in most situations anywhere in the country.

“It’s a great milestone, a great day,” Biden said. “It’s been made possible by the extraordinary success we’ve had in vaccinating so many Americans so quickly.”

[What you need to know about the CDC’s new mask guidelines]

[Tracking known coronavirus cases in D.C., Maryland and Virginia]

While new cases dropped precipitously overall, the rate among unvaccinated people remained high.

People older than 65 and those with obesity and underlying health problems are the mostly likely to die of covid-19, but a large percentage of infections have occurred in younger, more mobile people. People younger than 40 tend to become less sick but also unknowingly may pass the virus to others around them.

[What you need to know about the coronavirus]

A global analysis found a worrisome connection between covid-19 and diabetes in people who had no previous history of blood-sugar problems.

Outbreaks have hit Black, Hispanic and Asian communities particularly hard. Native American communities were devastated by the virus as well, but some have become vaccine success stories as tribal health officials took vaccines directly to residents by any means needed — including dog sled.

Some sparsely populated areas have always ranked among the highest in deaths and cases per capita.

People in very rural areas may be more vulnerable to covid-19 than urbanites, according to a Washington Post analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Ten counties with highest rates of reported cases

Testing was slow to begin in 2020, and demand often overwhelmed testing infrastructure at first, muddying the ability of officials to get a true picture of the virus’s reach. But like other metrics, demand for testing has dropped in recent months.

During the winter crush, some hospitals were overrun with covid-19 patients. But outbreaks have since become more localized, and fewer patients are sick enough to be admitted.

[What you need to know about the different types of vaccines]

Virus-fighting technology has advanced as the pandemic has dragged on. The Food and Drug Administration has approved at-home tests and antibody treatments.

Most importantly, of course, on Dec. 14, the first FDA-approved coronavirus vaccine began going into American arms. Two more soon followed.

The rollout had initial hiccups and glitches but smoothed out in spring, and now everyone 12 and older is eligible to be vaccinated. Trials have begun that may allow for the approval of vaccines in younger children by late this year or early 2022.

While the pandemic isn’t over in the United States, the worst of it may be past.

“I’m sure that we can control it,” Fauci told The Post on May 21. “Somewhere between control and elimination is where we’re going to wind up. Namely a very, very low level that isn’t a public health hazard that doesn’t disrupt society.”