Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In 2020, US Life Expectancy Fell The Most Since World War II
NPR: U.S. Life Expectancy Fell By 1.5 Years In 2020, The Biggest Drop Since WWII
Life expectancy in the United States declined 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 expectancy from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77.3 years in 2020, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. It was the largest one-year decline since World War II, when life expectancy dropped by 2.9 years between 1942 and 1943. Hispanic and Black communities saw the biggest declines. (Greenhalgh, 7/21)
NBC News: Covid Plus Overdose Deaths Drove Down Life Expectancy In 2020
Life expectancy in the U.S. plunged last year in the largest one-year drop since World War II, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday, further widening the longevity gap between the U.S. and comparable countries. Deaths from Covid-19 and drug overdoses fueled the decline — wiping out any improvements the country made in decreasing deaths from cancer and chronic lower respiratory diseases — leading to a 1.5-year drop and bringing the life expectancy at birth down to 77.3 years. (Life expectancy at birth refers to how long a person born in the year being studied — in this case, 2020 — is expected to live.) (Sullivan, 7/21)
CNBC: Life Expectancy In The U.S. Declined In 2020, Especially Among People Of Color
The Covid-19 pandemic drove average life expectancies in the U.S. down by about a year and a half last year, marking the largest one-year decline since World War II, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Americans are now expected to live an average of 77.3 years, down from 78.8 years in 2019, according the report released Wednesday by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. Hispanics saw the biggest drop in life expectancy last year, followed by Black Americans. (Mendez, 7/21)
