Abstract
We use correlational analysis of the fifty American states to test two hypotheses: (1) Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) were effective in reducing COVID-19 (covid) mortality, and (2) most of the deaths during the pandemic were caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (sars2) virus. We conclude that the lack of correlations of mortality rates with measures of NPI actions is rather strong evidence that NPIs did not reduce pandemic mortality at the state level. We also find that the lack of correlations with factors thought by healthcare experts to influence covid mortality rates is hard to explain if the sars2 virus was responsible for most pandemic deaths.