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More people are dying of COVID-19 today than at most points during the pandemic, according to MSN.

Recent deaths: The U.S. has seen more than 2,000 COVID-19 deaths each day for the past month. The only other time death numbers were this high for this long was during the winter spike in 2021, before vaccines were available.

Omicron: More than 120,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19 since omicron became the dominant variant in December 2021. Though Omicron is less likely to cause severe disease than previous variants, it is more infectious, which has resulted in more cases and more deaths.

COVID hits young people: “A common refrain early in the pandemic was that COVID-19 was most deadly for the elderly and people with certain health conditions. The people dying from COVID-19 now tend to be younger than before, and they’re overwhelmingly unvaccinated, experts say.”

Disparities: Racial disparities in COVID-19 death numbers exist but have decreased over time. Black, Hispanic and American Indian people are twice as likely to die of COVID-19 than white people, down from three times as likely in 2020. As the virus has spread, social determinants of health have become a greater indicator of risk. Uninsured people and people who delay care are more likely to have untreated conditions, and thus they are more likely to suffer serious illness from COVID-19.

Vaccines work: According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, the risk of dying from COVID-19 is 14 times higher for unvaccinated people than vaccinated people. Unvaccinated people are 51 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than people who are vaccinated and received a booster shot.

• Get vaxxed: Check out This Is Our Shot for more information about how to protect yourself and the people you care about.