The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the population, not just in terms of direct deaths but also in terms of years of life lost due to disability. A recent study conducted in 18 European countries found that more than 16 million years of life were lost between 2020 and 2022 as a result of the pandemic.
Researchers used a computational model to analyze data on the European population aged 35 and older during this time period. They tracked rates of diseases, disabilities, and deaths to estimate the overall impact of the pandemic. The study revealed that many individuals who died during the pandemic would have lived longer if it had not occurred, resulting in a total of 16.8 million years of life lost.
Interestingly, more than half of these lost years would have been lived without disability, highlighting the broader consequences of the pandemic beyond just mortality. The study also found that the total years of life lost due to non-COVID causes of death continued to increase even after COVID-19 deaths decreased with the rollout of vaccinations.
The impact of the pandemic varied between countries, with a greater loss of disability-free life in countries with lower gross domestic product. The study also noted that the pandemic worsened socioeconomic inequalities in premature mortality and widened sex differences in life expectancy.
Lead author Dr. Sara Ahmadi-Abhari emphasized the need for a comprehensive pandemic preparedness program to address both immediate and long-term public health challenges. The study’s findings underscore the importance of understanding the full impact of the pandemic, not just in terms of COVID-19 deaths but also in terms of overall years of life lost and disability.
For more information, the full study titled “Direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on life expectancy and person-years of life lost with and without disability: A systematic analysis for 18 European countries, 2020–2022” can be found in the journal PLOS Medicine. The study highlights the long-term consequences of the pandemic and the importance of preparing for future public health emergencies.
