US life expectancy drops a year in pandemic, most since WWII

(AP) A new report finds that life expectancy in the United States dropped a staggering one year during the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic caused its first wave of deaths.

Minorities suffered the biggest impact, with Black people losing nearly three years and Hispanics, nearly two years.

The estimates were released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health officials say the nation has not seen such a big decline since World War II. They expect the trend to worsen once numbers for the full year are available.