COVID shortens US life expectancy — with Black, Latino communities most hurt, study says
The coronavirus is reducing U.S. life expectancy — while taking the biggest toll on Black and Latino communities, a new study finds.
A team of scientists said it reviewed coronavirus-related deaths in 2020 and predicted the life expectancy for all Americans will change to 77.48 years. That’s down about one year from the current nationwide level and represents an “enormous decline,” according to findings shared Thursday.
But the life expectancy drop may be “even starker” for certain groups.
“For Blacks, the researchers project their life expectancy would shorten by 2.10 years to 72.78 years, and for Latinos, by 3.05 years to 78.77 years,” the University of Southern California said in a news release.
During the pandemic, people in those demographic groups have seen higher death rates, according to the researchers, who represent USC and Princeton University.
“The bigger reductions in life expectancy for the Black and Latino populations result in part from a disproportionate number of deaths at younger ages for these groups,” Noreen Goldman, a study co-author, said in the news release. “These findings underscore the need for protective behaviors and programs to reduce potential viral exposure among younger individuals who may not perceive themselves to be at high risk.”
Nationwide, more than 390,000 people have died after contracting COVID-19 as of Jan. 15, according to Johns Hopkins University. While older adults and people with underlying medical conditions have higher risks of getting seriously sick, health officials have urged everyone to take precautions to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
In the study, researchers warned thatCOVID-19 could widen the gap in life expectancy between Black and white Americans. That would reverse recent gains made toward lowering the disparity, according to the results published Thursday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Researchers said the shortened life expectancy projection for Latinos is “especially shocking” because that group usually has lower rates of several underlying conditions than Black and white Americans.
In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report that found Hispanic adults living in Denver had disproportionate rates of coronavirus infections and deaths when compared to white adults. Health officials analyzed patient records and interviews to find Hispanic COVID-19 patients were more likely to say they had worked while sick, among the factors that could increase the risk of exposure, McClatchy News reported.
In the recently study, researchers examined data from the National Center for Health Statistics. In October, scientists said they weighed deaths “for which race, ethnicity, and age” were available, though they didn’t reveal how many cases they reviewed.
Also in October, the research team pulled the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s projections through Dec. 31. Using that data, scientists estimated the projected number of deaths for each group.
This story was originally published January 15, 2021 at 2:39 PM with the headline "COVID shortens US life expectancy — with Black, Latino communities most hurt, study says."
