A fence along with Greenwood Cemetery, in Brooklyn, N.Y., is covered with memorial art for people who died of COVID-19. Pandemic deaths triggered the biggest drop in life expectancy in years.
Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images
toggle caption
conceal caption
Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images
A fence alongside Greenwood Cemetery, in Brooklyn, N.Y., is covered with memorial art for people who died of COVID-19. Pandemic deaths triggered the most significant drop in life span in years.
Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images
Just last month a study published in the British Medical Journal looked at life span data for the U.S. and compared it to life span information from 16 other high earnings countries. The research study found the U.S. decrease in life span from 2018 to 2020 was 8.5 times higher than the typical decrease in peer nations. And the U.S. declines were most pronounced among minority groups, hispanic and particularly black individuals. Study author Steven Woolf of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, informed NPRs Allison Aubrey, “We have not seen a reduction like this because World War II. Its a horrific reduction in life expectancy.” “It is difficult to take a look at these findings and not see a reflection of the systemic bigotry in the U.S.,” Lesley Curtis, chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, informed NPR. “The variety of factors that play into this include earnings inequality, the social safety web, as well as racial inequality and access to health care,” Curtis stated.
COVID-19 contributed to 74% of the decline in life span from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77.3 years in 2020, according to the CDCs National Center for Health Statistics. It was the biggest 1 year decrease because World War II, when life span dropped by 2.9 years in between 1942 and 1943. For African Americans, life expectancy dropped by 2.9 years from 74.7 years in 2019 to 71.8 in 2020. U.S. Hispanics– who have a longer life expectancy than non-Hispanic Blacks or whites saw the largest decline in life expectancy during the pandemic, dropping 3 years from 81.8 years in 2019 to 78.8 years in 2020. Just last month a research study published in the British Medical Journal looked at life expectancy information for the U.S. and compared it to life expectancy data from 16 other high earnings nations.
Life span in the United States decreased by a year and a half in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says the coronavirus is largely to blame. COVID-19 contributed to 74% of the decline in life span from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77.3 years in 2020, according to the CDCs National Center for Health Statistics. It was the largest 1 year decrease because World War II, when life span visited 2.9 years in between 1942 and 1943. Black and hispanic communities saw the most significant declines. For African Americans, life span come by 2.9 years from 74.7 years in 2019 to 71.8 in 2020. U.S. Hispanics– who have a longer life expectancy than non-Hispanic Blacks or whites saw the largest decrease in life expectancy throughout the pandemic, dropping 3 years from 81.8 years in 2019 to 78.8 years in 2020. Hispanic males saw the most significant decline, with a drop of 3.7 years. COVID-19 was responsible for 90% of the decrease amongst Hispanics. The boost in drug overdose deaths was also a consider declining life span. More than 93,000 individuals died from drug overdoses in 2020. Thats the greatest number reported in a single year. Other causes of death adding to the decrease were boosts in murder and deaths from diabetes and persistent liver illness.
