2021 life expectancy stats are in, and it's ugly.

in #pandemiclast year

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https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/22/health/life-expectancy-2021-final-data/index.html

From 78.8 years in 2019, to 76.4 years in 2021, rolling back 25 years in progress. Drug overdoses plays some role, but it's mostly COVID, partially offset by reduced flu deaths from masking and distancing.

The article expects a rebound in 2023, but I have my doubts. If this is anything like the great flu pandemic, death rates may stay elevated for a decade or more due to widespread health damage caused by the infections.

Most of this could have been prevented with higher vaccine uptakes, but still, we're hearing nonsense about refusing transfusion when blood can't be guaranteed "vax free". Sigh.