A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences projects that Covid-19 will reduce US life expectancy in 2020 by 1.13 years, with a disproportionate number of deaths occurring among Black and Latino populations.

Consequently, Covid-19 is expected to reverse over 10 years of progress made in closing the Black−White gap in life expectancy and reduce the previous Latino mortality advantage by over 70%," according to the researchers of the study, Theresa Andrasfay of the University of Southern California and Noreen Goldman of Princeton University's Office of Population Research.

"Black and Latino Americans have experienced a disproportionate burden of Covid-19 morbidity and mortality, reflecting persistent structural inequalities that increase risk of exposure to Covid-19 and mortality risk for those infected," the study added.

Prior to the pandemic, the US had been making steady progress in terms of life expectancy although it had slowed down in recent years.

Life expectancy increased by nearly 10 years over the last half century -- from 69.9 years in 1959, to 78.9 years in 2016.

These projections imply an increase of nearly 40% in the Black−White life expectancy gap, from 3.6 years to over 5 years, thereby eliminating progress made in reducing this differential since 2006," the study added.

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