How Covid-19 Reduced Life Expectancy In US To Lowest Since World War II

The emergence of Covid-19 five years ago marked one of the worst public health crises in modern history. During the pandemic's first two years, life expectancy in the US plummeted by about 2.7 years - the steepest decline since World War II.

Here's a closer look at these grim numbers:

Heart disease has long been the leading cause of death in the US and globally. The Covid pandemic worsened its effects.

The pandemic also precipitated a surge in strokes and related conditions, driven by the SARS-CoV-2 virus's propensity to cause dangerous blood clots.

The pandemic also coincided with a deadly opioid epidemic, leading to a jump in fatal overdoses that made unintentional injuries the No. 3 killer in the US in 2022. 

Increased alcohol consumption and health-care disruptions also drove a surge in liver disease.

Social distancing, hand-washing and the wearing of protective face masks helped reduce deaths from influenza, a major killer of the very young and the elderly, and other respiratory conditions in the pandemic's first years. Infections from flu, respiratory syncytial virus, and other notorious winter germs rebounded once pandemic mitigation measures eased.

As Covid entered its fourth year of global transmission, widespread immune protection from vaccination and prior infections contributed to a decline in mortality rates.

Even so, Covid's long-term health effects - including risks for dementia and neurodevelopmental delay - continue to emerge, reminding us that while the world may wish to move on from the virus, it has not yet moved on from us.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)