New study: 20.5 million years of life lost by Covid! What does this mean?

More than 1,000 empty chairs in honor of Covid victims in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv, Israel. Photo: EFE / EPA

More than 20.5 million years of life may have been lost to the coronavirus pandemic in 81 countries around the world, according to a new study that highlights the misconception that those who die from Covid would actually have died anyway. that they would not have been infected with Covid.

Years of lost life is the difference between the age of an individual at the moment he dies and his longevity. While deaths from Covid are often compared to neglect with those of the flu, which kills many older individuals and with concomitant illnesses each year, the study shows that the coronavirus has caused greater damage. In those countries that are badly affected, the number of years of life lost by Covid is between two and nine times that of seasonal flu.

Men are many times more affected than women - their years of lost life are 44% higher. Although it is older people who are most at risk of dying in richer countries, the largest number of years of life lost was among people between the ages of 55 and 75.

They found that most of the life years lost in richer countries were by older people, but in low- and middle-income countries, the largest loss of life years was by individuals who died at age 55 or younger.

The researchers looked at more than 1,279,866 deaths in 81 countries, as well as life expectancy data and predictions for total Covid deaths. They estimate that in total, 20,507,518 years of life may have been lost due to Covid-19 in the 81 countries included in the study - an average of 16 years for each individual death.

Of the total years of lives lost, 44.9% appear to have occurred in individuals between 55 and 75 years of age, 30.2% in individuals younger than 55 years, and 25% of those older than 75 years.

Source: Guardian, Johns Hopkins University, Pompeu Fabra University