Two research letters published today in JAMA estimate excess deaths due to COVID-19 and other causes in different countries since the pandemic began, one finding a higher coronavirus death rate in the United States than in 18 other countries since early May , and the other showing that the overall US death rate rose 20% from March to August, with 67% of the excess deaths attributable to the virus.Decentralized, inconsistent responseIn the first study, researchers at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania compared COVID-19–related death rates in the United States through Sep 19 with those in 18 other countries with populations exceeding 5 million and at least $25,000 per capita gross domestic product.