Biden says COVID-19 caused more deaths in US than World Wars, Vietnam war, 9/11 combined

US President Joe Biden, on March 11, acknowledged grief and loss caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic stressing that the total deaths in the country now exceeded those caused by World war I, world war II, Vietnam war, and 9/11 combined. In his first prime time speech, the newly minted President marked one year since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it as a "global pandemic"  and said that it has only caused "collective sufferings"  to the Americans. 

"A year ago we were hit with a virus that was met with silence and spread unchecked, denials for days, weeks, then months. That led to more deaths, more infections, more stress, and more loneliness," Biden said in a nationally televised address.

As per the latest tally by John Hopkins University, the country has reported over 29,286,142 cases with over 530, 821 deaths as of now. Confronting the same, Biden said that the previous year was filled with “loss of life and living” leaving behind kids who could not even grieve. Offering his condolences to those who succumbed to the respiratory infection, he said that he was thinking about everyone “who died alone, leaving their family members behind.” 

"As of now, the total deaths in America (from COVID-19 are at) 527,726 -- that's more deaths than World War I, World War II, The Vietnam war and 9/11 combined. There were husbands, wives, sons, daughters, grandparents, friends, neighbors -- young and old -- they leave behind young ones unable to grieve and heal," he said.

'Photos from another era' 

Reminiscing the pre-pandemic era, the top Democrat said that all the photos and videos from 2019 feel like they were taken in another era. “The last vacation. The last birthday with friends. The last holiday with extended family. While it was different for everyone, we all lost something. A collective suffering. A collective sacrifice," he added.

Speaking from the East Room of the White House, Biden also condemned the violence that Asian Americans had to endure throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlighting that the community has been subjected to various “hate crimes”, Biden stressed that while American residents should have been working in solidarity, that has not been the case.