Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed there has been 200,700 excess deaths during the pandemic - surpassing the confirmed 161,000 COVID-19 death toll.

In August, the United States continued to amass the largest COVID-19 death toll across the world and the number topped 161,000 this week.  ?

The estimated 200,700 excess deaths is 54,000 higher than the official CDC COVID-19 death toll during that period which was 146,254. .

A graph from the CDC shows the number of excess deaths in the United States between April and July this year compared to previous years?

This allows for a window into the United State's death toll that isn't dependent on the availability of COVID-19 tests in states or the accuracy of reporting in different regions. .

The CDC noted that some deaths related to COVID-19 may accidentally be counted under another category.

'As some deaths due to COVID-19 may be assigned to other causes of deaths (for example, if COVID-19 was not diagnosed or not mentioned on the death certificate), tracking all-cause mortality can provide information about whether an excess number of deaths is observed, even when COVID-19 mortality may be undercounted,' the agency wrote. .

Only Alaska, Hawaii, Maine and West Virginia show death toll numbers that resemble previous years with West Virginia and Maine recording 100 excess deaths each and Hawaii and Alaska both recording zero .

The process of counting COVID-19 deaths, and deaths in general during the pandemic, is also marred by several states and the CDC having a lag in reporting. 

But the numbers are clear, more Americans died from March 15 to July 25 this year than in previous years and the official COVID-19 death toll contributed to a large chunk of that

This is at odds with the Trump administration's insistence that COVID-19 death toll numbers are greatly exaggerated and a number of conservatives have adopted the conspiracy that the numbers were inflated for political gain.  

Above average death rates have become common in a number of states, including New Jersey and New York.   

The data from the NYT shows that New York City, the country's original pandemic epicenter, has experienced the most significant increase of excess deaths at 27,000 - 143 percent higher than normal

New Jersey recorded an estimated 18,000 excess deaths during that four month period, while New York State had 14,200 such deaths. 

Only Alaska, Hawaii, Maine and West Virginia show death toll numbers that resemble previous years with West Virginia and Maine recording 100 excess deaths each and Hawaii and Alaska both recording zero. 

New York state, and specifically New York City, topped the analysis' data for having the highest number of excessive deaths during the pandemic so far

Pictured: Cars form lines on April 4 at a federally-supported drive-thru testing site for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, which experience a high level of excessive deaths