The Omicron surge has brought with it an especially potent and fast-moving wave of death across the United States. The country’s per-capita death rate still exceeds those of other wealthy nations, a reflection of widespread resistance to vaccines and boosters in the United States. During the Omicron surge, hospital admissions in the United States have been higher than in Western Europe.

The pace of deaths across the country has accelerated throughout the fall and winter. When the United States reached 800,000 deaths in mid-December, the most recent 100,000 deaths had occurred in less than 11 weeks. This time, the latest 100,000 deaths — many from the Omicron variant — have been reported in just over seven weeks.

That the 900,000-death milestone comes more than a year after vaccines were first authorized added to the pain, said Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, the Baltimore health commissioner. Federal data shows that the vast majority of deaths have been unvaccinated people.

“As a public health professional, it is unbelievably sad, because I think so many of the deaths were likely preventable,” said Dr. Dzirasa.