Study reports Black, Latino life expectancy to suffer even more due to COVID-19

PITTSBURGH — A new study published in the National Academy of Sciences reports the COVID-19 pandemic will reduce U.S. life expectancy from 78 to 77 years old. The study says Black and Latino populations will be hit even harder.

The Black population’s life expectancy is predicted to be shortened by two years and the Latino population’s life expectancy is expected to drop by three years.

“The numbers are much greater. It really starts with underlying conditions,” said Marie Boyer, director of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Boyer said the decline has to do with several factors, including Latino families often having multigenerational households.

“You have grandparents, children and grandchildren so there is more exposure to the outside world,” she said.

“We, particularly as Black men, need to get check-ups. We need to get to doctors,” president of the Pennsylvania NAACP Kenneth Huston said.

Huston believes the Black community are disproportionally affected due to economic factors, a history of chronic health conditions and a history of distrust in the health care system.

“Black people have been experimented on. The Tuskegee Experiments. There are so many things we went through when it comes to vaccinations and things of that nature,” he said. “Trust the scientists. Get your vaccinations. Don’t play with this.”

Boyer said there’s a distrust in the Latino community.

“Especially people new to the country, even if they are documented, they don’t trust a system they haven’t grown up with,” she said.

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