COVID was the primary killer last year, but deaths from other diseases rose as well, and that’s unacceptable | COMMENTARY

Christian Hainds prepares for a workout session at his home in Hammond, Ind., Monday, June 7, 2021. Health officials have warned since early on in the pandemic that obesity and related conditions such as diabetes were risk factors for severe COVID-19. It wasn’t until he was diagnosed as diabetic around the start of the pandemic that he felt the urgency to make changes. Hainds lost about 50 pounds during the pandemic, and at 180 pounds and 5 feet, 11 inches tall is no longer considered obese. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar) (Shafkat Anowar/AP)

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