By the numbers: Comparing the COVID-19 death toll to the 1918 flu, H1N1 and more How does the death toll of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. compare to other events in history? We took a look at the numbers. Author: Allison Sylte Updated: 6:51 AM MST February 15, 2021 DENVER — It has been almost a year since the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. changed life as we know it. During that time, more than 410,000 Americans have died of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. More than 5,500 people in Colorado have died of COVID-19, and as of this writing, 22,655 people in the state have been hospitalized.