COVID-19

NYC Life Expectancy Plunged Amid COVID, New Stats Show. See How Much It Shaved Off

The city's mortality rate in 2020, fueled by the raging COVID-19 pandemic, surpassed that of the infamous 1918 influenza, new data released this week says

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What to Know

  • Life expectancy in New York City fell to 78, that's a drop of 4.6 years, between 2019 and 2020, the city's health department said Friday
  • The pandemic's role in dropping life expectancy was far from equitable. For Black New Yorkers, life expectancy dropped roughly five years to 73; Hispanic New Yorkers fell six years to 77.3; white New Yorkers saw a three-year decrease to 80.1
  • According to a state dashboard, more than 200,000 New Yorkers died in 2020, with less than half those deaths due to COVID and heart disease, the latter being the no. 1 cause of death

New Yorkers aren't living as long.

The state suffered one of the largest drops in estimated life expectancy following the explosion of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of New Yorkers and has sickened countless more, many of whom still feel the impacts of long-lasting symptoms.

Life expectancy in New York City fell to 78, that's a drop of 4.6 years, between 2019 and 2020, the city's health department revealed Friday. That figure is largely due to the pandemic, but has also been fueled by a rise in overdose deaths.

A stunning new report by New York City's Health Department shows how deadly the COVID pandemic was for the city,. According to researchers, the virus reduced life expectancy in the five boroughs by more than four years. NBC New York's Chris Glorioso reports

The city's mortality rate in 2020, fueled by the raging COVID-19 pandemic, surpassed that of the infamous 1918 influenza, new data released this week says. The virus death rate in 2020 was roughly 12 greater per 100,000 lives in 1918.

The health data compiled in the Annual Summary of Vital Statistics offers a stark view of the pandemic's disastrous toll in 2020, as well as its lasting impact on the future.

“This report is an important record of what we’ve been through and all that we lost. It also reflects the importance of this moment," said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. "New Yorkers’ lifespans are falling, on top of years of relative flattening before COVID, and that cannot continue."

The pandemic's role in dropping life expectancy was far from equitable. For Black New Yorkers, life expectancy dropped roughly five years to 73; Hispanic New Yorkers fell six years to 77.3; and white New Yorkers saw a three year decrease to 80.1.

As stated, the virus was not the only factor in the city's falling life expectancy.

Unintentional overdose deaths also played a disproportionate role among New Yorkers. Among a 42.2% spike in drug deaths between 2019 and 2020, the city found that the highest death rate was among Black New Yorkers.

"Leading Causes of Death by Racial/Ethnic Group" | Credit: NYC Health

The leading cause of death in 2020 was overwhelmingly COVID-19, but it was not always no. 1. The top two causes of death among NYC residents were COVID-19 and heart disease, with cancer taking the third spot among all racial/ethnic groups.

State health leaders call the dip in life expectancy between 2019 and 2020 one of the worst in decades. Prior to the pandemic, New York's age-adjusted death rate had been on the decline. After the start of the pandemic, the death rate jumped by 30% statewide and more than 50% for the city.

According to a state dashboard, more than 200,000 New Yorkers died in 2020, with less than half those deaths due to COVID and heart disease, the latter being the no. 1 cause of death.

The Biden Administration now on track to mark an "official" end to the pandemic. Gus Rosendale reports.
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