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Assessing the impact of one million COVID-19 deaths in America: economic and life expectancy losses.

Authors :
Silva S
Goosby E
Reid MJA
Source :
Scientific reports [Sci Rep] 2023 Feb 22; Vol. 13 (1), pp. 3065. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Feb 22.
Publication Year :
2023

Abstract

Between February 2020 and May 2022, one million Americans have died of COVID-19. To determine the contribution of those deaths to all-cause mortality in terms of life expectancy reductions and the resulting economic welfare losses, we calculated their combined impact on national income growth and the added value of lives lost. We estimated that US life expectancy at birth dropped by 3.08 years due to the million COVID-19 deaths. Economic welfare losses estimated in terms of national income growth supplemented by the value of lives lost, was in the order of US$3.57 trillion. US$2.20 trillion of these losses were in in the non-Hispanic White population (56.50%), US$698.24 billion (19.54%) in the Hispanic population, and US$579.93 billion (16.23%) in the non-Hispanic Black population. The scale of life expectancy and welfare losses underscores the pressing need to invest in health in the US to prevent further economic shocks from future pandemic threats.<br /> (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2045-2322
Volume :
13
Issue :
1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Scientific reports
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
36813824
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30077-1