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In USA Today, Jennifer Montez Discusses Life Expectancy, COVID-19

July 21, 2021

USA Today

Jennifer Karas Montez

Jennifer Karas Montez


Life expectancy in the United States declined by a year and a half in 2020, according to government data released Wednesday, the largest on-year drop since World War II. Hispanic and Black populations saw the largest declines. "I really hope that this is a wake-up call for the U.S.," says Jennifer Karas Montez, professor of sociology and Gerald B. Cramer Faculty Scholar in Aging Studies. "We're relying a lot on a medical fix—on vaccines. And I don't think that's enough." Read more in the USA Today article, "US life expectancy decreased by 1.5 years during the pandemic – the largest drop since WWII." 


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