Life expectancy in the United States dropped by one year during the first half of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic caused its first wave of deaths, health officials reported Thursday. This is the first time the CDC has reported on life expectancy from early, partial records; more death certificates from that period may yet come in. Life expectancy is how long a baby born today can expect to live, on average. Black people now lag white people by six years in life expectancy, reversing a trend that had been narrowing the gap since 1993. Overall, the drop in life expectancy is more evidence of “our mishandling of the pandemic,” Brawley said.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 18, 2021 13:52 UTC