The corona pandemic is long over. Even though the virus with its many mutations is still circulating in the population, it has lost its terror. But infection is still dangerous, especially for people from risk groups such as the elderly and those with previous illnesses. Even now, people are still dying as a result of an infection.
A new study published in The Lancet shows exactly how the pandemic has affected people’s mortality. Accordingly, it fell in the pandemic years 2019 to 2021 global life expectancy one
This is a significant reversal, as it had been rising until then, according to a press release. The study is an update of the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021.
Worse than natural disasters – over 16 million dead worldwide
“For adults around the world, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a more profound impact than any other event in half a century, including conflict and natural disasters,” said Austin E. Schumacher, lead study author from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). the University of Washington. Life expectancy is in during this pandemic
84 percent of countries and territories
He continues, showing the devastating potential impact of novel pathogens. According to this, the mortality of older people worldwide has increased to an extent that has not been observed in the previous 70 years.
According to the study, in total in 2020 and 2021 alone
16 million people worldwide
fell victim to the virus.
Mortality increased by 22 percent for men and 17 percent for women
The study authors assume that the pandemic has led to a sharp increase in global mortality among people over the age of 15. This was for men
and for women at about
According to the study, places such as Mexico City, Peru and Bolivia as well as the KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces in South Africa were worst affected by this excess mortality and decline in life expectancy. The Caribbean islands of Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda and New Zealand were least affected worldwide.
However, the authors emphasize that the progress of the last 72 years has not been wiped out by the pandemic: between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy increased by almost 23 years:
Child mortality fell by 7 percent during the pandemic
The study also revealed something encouraging: Mortality among children under five fell during the same period of the pandemic
back. “Our study suggests that, even after taking stock of the terrible loss of life the world has experienced due to the pandemic, we have made incredible progress in the 72 years since 1950 and child mortality continues to decline worldwide,” said study author Hmwe Hmwe Kyu from IHMW. “Our main focus now should be on continuing to build on our successes while preparing for the next pandemic and addressing the huge health disparities between countries.”