So the current new panic mongering is over how the Covid-19 virus has decreased life expectancy by 1.5 years.
The first year of the pandemic reduced Americans’ life expectancy at birth by 1.5 years, to 77.3 years. That erased the country’s gains since 2003. It was the largest annual decline since 1943, in the middle of World War II. Goldman said that it was the second largest decline since the 1918 influenza pandemic, which is believed to have killed some 50 million people worldwide.
Omg! The second largest decline since the Spanish Flu! It must be equivalent right?
Wrong.
The life expectancy drop from the 1918 virus was 6.8 years (54-47.2). Furthermore the 1.5 year drop is only a 1.9% drop in life expectancy. Meanwhile the Spanish flu drop was a 12.6% drop in life expectancy.
This again is in track with the 1:5 ratio of deaths/population comparing Covid to the Spanish Flu. The ratio difference here being 1:6.6
Don't forget the 1.5 years people haven't been able to actually live their lives because the government told them they couldn't. They're never getting that time back.
So we've effectively reduced everyone's usable life by 1.5 years in an attempt to stave off a 1.5 year drop in average life expectancy. Well done "experts": you really earned your paycheck on that one.