Covid-19 cut Boston life expectancy by more than two years, but by even higher amounts among Blacks, Hispanics and Asian-Americans, report finds

The Boston Public Health Commission reports on the deadly impact of the Covid-19 pandemic:

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, average life expectancy decreased by 2.4 years for Boston residents. The pandemic also exacerbated racial and ethnic health inequities. Latinx residents experienced the greatest decrease in life expectancy (-4 years), followed by Black residents (-3.3 years), and Asian residents (-3 years). White residents had the smallest decrease in life expectancy (-1.1 years).

BPHC says this was on top of previous life-expectancy disparities, most notably a 23-year gap between residents of one overwhelmingly White census tract in the Back Bay and one overwhelmingly Black tract not far away in Roxbury:

Most notable is the nearly 23-year gap between a census tract in Back Bay where the life expectancy is 91.6 years and a census tract in Roxbury where life expectancy is 68.8 years. While this difference is lower than previous estimates that noted a 33-year disparity between census tracts (2003-2007), these findings indicate that significant challenges remain to advance health equity across the city of Boston.

The commission continues it found consistent health disparities between White residents and other groups in the city, including in cancer, heart disease, asthma and diabetes.