The problems are compounded for marginalized groups by racism and segregation, he added. These include a fragmented, profit-driven health care system poor diet and a lack of physical activity and pervasive risk factors such as smoking, widespread access to guns, poverty and pollution. health disadvantage,” an amalgam of influences that erode well-being, Dr. health care system is among the best in the world, Americans suffer from what experts have called “the U.S. That drop-off may have been related to high unemployment and suicide rates during an earlier recession, as well as a steep increase in mortality among nonwhite men and women.Īlthough the U.S. It was the largest reduction in life expectancy in the United States over the course of a two-year period since the early 1920s, when life expectancy fell to 57.2 in 1923. The figure fell only slightly last year, from 83.6 in 2020. For white and Black Americans, life expectancy is now the lowest it has been since 1995, federal researchers said.Īsian Americans held the highest life expectancy among racial and ethnic groups included in the new analysis: 83.5 years, on average. White Americans experienced the smallest decline during the first year of the pandemic, a drop of 1.4 years to 77.4 from 78.8. The figure for Black Americans declined almost as much, by more than three years to 71.5 years in 2020. Average life expectancy for Hispanic Americans fell by four years, to 77.9 from 81.9 in 2019. That was followed by Hispanic Americans, whose life expectancy dropped only two-tenths of a year in 2021.īut both Black and Hispanic Americans were hit hard in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. The decline was steeper than that among Black Americans, at seven-tenths of a year. White Americans saw the second-largest decline in average life expectancy in 2021, a drop of one year, to 76.4 in 2021 from 77.4 in 2020. “That was wrong, and it’s pretty hard to swallow,” she added. The continued plunge was all the more upsetting because it occurred after a successful vaccination campaign, she said, adding: “The Native American population did quite well in the vaccination efforts, and that made us feel that 2021 would not be as devastating as 2020.” Bullock said.Īverage life expectancy in these populations is now “lower than that of every country in the Americas except Haiti, which is astounding,” said Noreen Goldman, professor of demography and public affairs at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. “There is no doubt Covid was a contributor to the increase in mortality during the last couple of years, but it didn’t start these problems - it made everything that much worse,” Dr. Both conditions make people more susceptible to severe Covid-19, and crowded multigenerational housing adds to the risk. One in seven Native Americans and Alaska Natives has diabetes, the highest rate among racial or ethnic groups in the United States, and many struggle with obesity or excess weight. Ann Bullock, former director of diabetes treatment and prevention at the federal Indian Health Service agency and a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. Longstanding health problems - rooted in poverty, discrimination and poor access to health care - left Native Americans and Alaska Natives particularly vulnerable to the virus, said Dr. is clearly an outlier.”īut the coronavirus was not solely to blame. Those countries had more successful vaccination campaigns and populations that were more willing to take behavioral measures to prevent infections, such as wearing masks, he said, adding: “The U.S. did, and a good number of them saw life expectancy start inching back to normal,” Dr. “None of them experienced a continuing fall in life expectancy like the U.S. While other high-income countries were also hard hit in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, most had begun to recover by last year, he said. N.Y.C.’s Mandate: New York City will end its aggressive but contentious vaccine mandate for municipal workers, Mayor Eric Adams announced, signaling a key moment in the city’s long battle against the pandemic.But they are increasingly left to protect themselves as the rest of the country abandons precautions. Dangers Remain for Seniors: For older Americans, the Covid pandemic still poses significant threats.New Drug’s Long Odds: A promising new treatment quashes all Covid variants, but regulatory hurdles and a lack of funding make it unlikely to reach the United States market anytime soon.spy agencies remain divided over Covid’s origins. Lab Leak: New intelligence has prompted the Energy Department to conclude that an accidental laboratory leak in China most likely caused the pandemic, though U.S.
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