This is why the US has the highest COVID-19 death toll Why does the world's leading power have the highest death toll and what lessons are American health specialists learning from the past year? Maryland Cremation Services transporter Reggie Elliott brings the remains of a COVID-19 victim to his van from the hospital's morgue in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States on 24 December 2020. Picture: AFP 49 days ago NEW YORK - The United States crossed the grim milestone of 500,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Monday, a year since announcing its first known death from the virus on 29 February 2020 in the Seattle area.