LOS ANGELES - The United States on Wednesday surpassed 1 million COVID-19 deaths, according to data compiled by NBC News, a number equivalent to the population of San Jose, California, the 10th largest city in the country.

The number was reached at a stunning speed, which is 27 months after the country confirmed its first case of the virus, said a CNBC report.

While deaths from COVID-19 have slowed in recent weeks, about 360 people have still been dying every day, said the report.

The casualty count is far higher than what most people could have imagined in the early days of the pandemic, particularly because former US President Donald Trump repeatedly downplayed the virus while in office, said the report.

Many see America's staggering death toll as evidence of its inadequate response to the crisis, according to the report.