But those declines, while unusual, were small — measured in small fractions of a year. Researchers knew there would be a decline last year, but the sheer magnitude in the first six months left them reeling: The drop brought life expectancy to the lowest level since 2006. The last major decline was 2.9 years between 1942 and 1943, after the United States entered World War II, Dr. Arias said.

Researchers say Thursday’s numbers are important because they are a numeric representation of the magnitude of the current coronavirus crisis. They may not represent a trend that will continue in the future, but they speak volumes about the sheer scale of the suffering many American communities are experiencing in the present, like …continued .
[Source: New York Times]