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New report finds coronavirus reduced life expectancy for Blacks and Latinos

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LOS ANGELES – The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected life expectancy, USC and Princeton researchers have found, according to a study published Thursday.

The researchers project that, due to the more than 336,000 pandemic deaths in the United States in 2020, life expectancy at birth for Americans will shorten by 1.13 years to 77.48 years, according to the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. That is the largest single-year decline in life expectancy in at least 40 years and the lowest life expectancy estimate since 2003.

The declines in life expectancy are likely even starker among Black and Latino communities. For Blacks, the researchers project their life expectancy would shorten by 2.10 years to 72.78 years, and 3.05 years for Latinos to 78.77 years. Whites are also impacted, but their projected decline is much smaller – – 0.68 years — to 77.84 years.

Overall, the gap in life expectancy between Blacks and whites is projected to widen by 40%, from 3.6 years to more than 5 — further evidence of the disease’s disparate impact on minority populations.

“Our study analyzes the effect of this exceptional number of deaths on life expectancy for the entire nation, as well as the consequences for marginalized groups,” said study author Theresa Andrasfay, a postdoctoral fellow at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

“The COVID-19 pandemic’s disproportionate effect on the life expectancy of Black and Latino Americans likely has to do with their greater exposure through their workplace or extended family contacts, in addition to receiving poorer health care, leading to more infections and worse outcomes.”

COVID-19 appears to have eliminated many of the gains made in closing the Black-white life expectancy gap since 2006. Latinos, who have consistently experienced lower mortality than whites — a phenomenon known as the “Latino paradox” — would see their more than three-year survival advantage over whites reduced to less than one year.

“The huge decline in life expectancy for Latinos is especially shocking given that Latinos have lower rates than the white and Black populations of most chronic conditions that are risk factors for COVID-19,” said study co-author Noreen Goldman, the Hughes-Rogers Professor of Demography and Public Affairs at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

“The generally good health of Latinos prior to the pandemic, which should have protected them from COVID-19, has laid bare the risks associated with social and economic disadvantage.”

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16 comments for "New report finds coronavirus reduced life expectancy for Blacks and Latinos"

    • There ain’t no victimhood like Trump and his rioting friends, the poor things. Life isn’t fair.

      They ain’t seen nuttin’ yet.

      The Trump brand is now caca and no banks or businesses will work with him. He owes lots of money. It’s over for the corrupt narcissist exept for maybe….prison???

      As for his rioting friends, they will be somebody’s girlfriend in a prison cell. Now that’s fair.

      • Dave’s already tying one on,
        And it was only a touch after 5.

        It’s 5 o’clock somewhere huh buddy

        • You are not smart or funny Beecee.

          You show up here to prove it.

          Go read your other comments and see for yourself. Just blah, blah and more blah.

      • damn dave can you hear the amount of HATE in your words…..just saying…..pretty sure that isnt going to help…

          • did you read your comment. there is no hate…and then you called me an ignorant fool….you should try to be a little more aware of when you contradict yourself …before any intelligence comments…

          • hey alby its to easy to sit behind a computer and throw your insults .that shows me what type of person you really are ..you probably think you are a real bad ass….you arnt even close ..quit telling yourself you are…you arnt interested in the good of america …insults further divide the nation … so please do yourself and america a favor and check yourself..you will mind someone..

          • Wow you sound like your ready to meet in a back alley way with your blmgbtq friends with your fists up and your shirts off. Keep your shirt on man thats gross looking. Your blm president won. What more do you want? For everyone to bow down to you at walmart? You’re to spent to mind.

          • Alby, it’s clear you’re a very ignorant racist fool and due to your low IQ we all see that that your parents must have either dropped you on your head or were brother and sister.

          • Lets not bring your daddy in the mix pal. After all, he nursed you with his mammaries while your mamma was paying the bills. Its so typical of a whiney brat like you to bring up family and iq while hiding behind someones name. The double standard with “your kind” is pathetic.