Key points from article :
The coronavirus pandemic probably caused the worst decline in life expectancy in the US since the second world war.
More than 600,000 people have died in the Covid-19 pandemic in the US.
Racial and ethnic minorities and low-income people have suffered disproportionately.
The study authors said, “..draws attention to the root causes of racial inequities in health, wealth and wellbeing.”
Hispanic and Black individuals lost 3.88 and 3.25 years of life expectancy respectively, compared with a decline of 1.36 years for Whites.
Researchers found the US fared substantially worse than peer nations.
Between 2010 and 2018, the gap in life expectancy between the US and peer nations grew from 1.88 years to 3.05 years.
In 2020, the gap between the US and peer nations increased to 4.69 years.
“The pandemic will have short and long term effects in...many communities, and altering life course trajectories across age groups,” authors wrote.
Research by University of Colorado and the Urban Institute published in BMJ.
