The coronavirus pandemic has slashed the life expectancy for Brits by two years, a study has revealed. Researchers have found that Covid-19 has taken life expectancy in England and Wales back to 2008 levels.
The study from Oxford University found that life expectancy for women has been cut from 83.5 years in 2019 to 81.8 years for those born in the first half of 2020, and from 79.9 years to 78 years for men.
The study - designed to estimate the burden of Covid-19 on mortality and life expectancy in England and Wales - found the two nations were "amongst the worst performers in terms of excess deaths".
It has raised fears that a possible second wave of the virus could impact life expectancy even further and its long-term health effects could