COVID-19–related deaths lowered life expectancy at birth in Brazil by an estimated 1.3 years in 2020 and by 1.8 years in early 2021, reversing 19% of gains achieved since 2000, according to a study today in Nature Medicine.Harvard University researchers led the study, which used data on total deaths in 2020 and January to April 2021 to assess and compare the COVID-19 death tally in each Brazilian state.They found that life expectancy in Brazil declined by 1.3 years, reversing overall gains observed since 2014.
People 65 years old in 2020 lost 0.9 years of life expectancy, a number not seen since 2012.From January to April 2021, coronavirus deaths were at 107% of the total deaths in 2020.