according to the CDC:
2,854,838 died in 2019 with no covid
2,835,533 died in 2020 with two weeks left in pandemic
Bingo!
You are comparing final 2019 numbers to outdated provisional 2020 numbers. The provisional numbers show 2,882,500 plus January (240,000) or 3.1 million. See https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/index.htm The reporting for the week ending Dec 26th is 90% incomplete.
Yes...it may be as deadly and probably even more deadly than previous viruses we have been subject to in the past, but in no way does it justify our national suicide we have allowed ourselves to be subjected to, in my opinion.