Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in the United States, but COVID-19 is positioned to take third place. According to government figures, it's projected that the disease will cause over 180,000 deaths in the country by the end of this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented its latest statistics showing that heart disease killed 647,457 Americans in 2017, while 599,108 died of cancer. Accidental deaths from injuries claimed 169,936 lives. So far, around 161,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and the CDC projects the weekly death toll could reach 11,000 by the end of August, according to Healthline.

At this rate, COVID-19 will become the third leading cause of death in America by the end of the 2020.

"It's stunning," said Dr. William Schaffner, a noted professor of infectious diseases from Vanderbilt University. "This is the most striking demographic change since HIV/AIDS."

Schaffner said that the sobering data brings attention to the fact that "we continue to not have a national strategy for controlling this virus."

According to Healthline, experts say the only way to stop the spread of this viral illness is if all Americans get on the same page and strictly observe the guidelines of social distancing and wearing masks in public.