Years of life lost associated with COVID-19 deaths in the USA during the first 2 years of the pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Background Prior estimates of the years of life lost (YLLs) in the USA associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were 1.2 million through 11 July 2020 and 3.9 million through 31 January 2021 (which roughly coincides with the first full year of the pandemic). The aim of this study is to update YLL estimates through the first 2 years of the pandemic. Methods We employed data regarding COVID-19 deaths through 5 February 2022 by jurisdiction, gender and age group. We used actuarial life expectancy tables by gender and age to estimate YLLs. Results We estimated roughly 9.7 million YLLs due to COVID-19 deaths. The number of YLLs per 10 000 capita was 297.5, with the highest rate in Mississippi (482.7) and the lowest in Vermont (61.4). There was substantial interstate variation in the timing of YLLs and differences in YLLs by gender. YLLs per death increased from 9.2 in the first year of the pandemic to 10.8 through the first 2 years. Conclusions Our findings improve our understanding of how the mortality effects of COVID-19 have evolved. This insight can be valuable to public health officials as the disease moves to an endemic phase.