US life expectancy falls by most in over 74 years on Covid-led tug

Life expectancy in the US dropped by the most in more than 75 years in 2020, according to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the Covid-19 spread across the country. The disease caused by the coronavirus was the third-leading cause of death in 2020, behind only heart disease and cancer, the CDC said in a report released on Wednesday.

Overall, life expectancy declined to 77 years, a drop of 1.8 years from 2019, the CDC said. The fall was “largely because of increases in mortality due to Covid-19, unintentional injuries, heart disease, homicide, and diabetes,” according to the agency’s report. Unintentional injuries include those from falls, auto accidents and poisoning. About 3.4 million deaths were registered in the US last year, almost 529,000 more than in 2019, the CDC said.