COVID-19 has cost Americans an estimated 2.5 million years of life, and nearly half of that number comes from the deaths of middle-aged patients, according to research published in the preprint server medRxiv.
Stephen Elledge, PhD, a Boston-based researcher at Harvard Medical School and Bringham and Women's Hospital, used actuarial data on life expectancy to estimate the amount of person-years lost from the 194,000 premature COVID-19 deaths recorded in the U.S. as of early October. Person-years is a measure that accounts for both the number of people in a study and the amount of time each person spends in the study. His estimate equates to an average of 13.25 years lost per person.
In a statement to Becker's, Dr. Elledge said he hopes the research will help combat the notion that COVID-19 only affects those with pre-existing conditions and older Americans. While fewer young people have died from the virus overall compared to older Americans, "they suffer nearly equal the amount of person-years lost as those over the age of 65," said Dr. Elledge.
The study, which is awaiting peer-review, doesn't include the potential years lost from COVID-19 survivors who may experience long-term health complications that lead to premature death.
"Think of what happens in a year of life," said Dr. Elledge. "It is a lot — 2.5 million times a lot."
To view the study, click here.
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