Years of Life Lost Associated with COVID-19 Deaths in the United States During the First Year of the Pandemic

Background Years of Life Lost (YLL) measure the shortfall in life expectancy due to a medical condition and have been used in multiple contexts. Previously it was estimated that there were 1.2 million YLLs associated with COVID-19 deaths in the United States through July 11, 2020. The aim of this study is to update YLL estimates for the first full year of the pandemic. Methods We employed data regarding COVID-19 deaths in the United States through January 31, 2021 by jurisdiction, gender, and age group. We used actuarial life expectancy tables by gender and age to estimate YLLs. Results We estimated roughly 3.9 million YLLs due to COVID-19 deaths, which corresponds to roughly 9.2 YLLs per death. We observed a large range across states in YLLs per 10,000 capita, with New York City at 298 and Vermont at 12. Nationally, males had a higher number of YLLs per death than females (9.5 versus 8.8), but there was significant variation in gender differences across states. Conclusions Our estimates provide further insight into the mortality effects of COVID-19. The observed differences across states and genders demonstrate the need for disaggregated analyses of the pandemic’s effects.