3. Lifespans will decline

With so many people dying of Covid, virus-related deaths are projected to reduce the aggregate life expectancy of Americans age 65 today by nearly a year, according to researchers at Princeton University and the University of Southern California.

But Covid-related lockdowns also are likely to reduce the life expectancies of those who avoid or survive the virus, says Philip Pizzo, former dean of Stanford University’s medical school and the founding director of Stanford’s Distinguished Careers Institute, a program for midcareer professionals transitioning to new acts.

In addition to the long-term physical damage some Covid survivors suffer, the pandemic is undermining our ability to engage in activities associated with better health and longer lives, including socializing, exercising and helping others. “These variables are important at all stages of life and particularly for those in midlife and older,” says Dr. Pizzo.

Studies indicate that loneliness may be linked to a greater risk of death, cognitive decline, depression and heart disease.

According to a survey of 365 nursing-home residents conducted by Altarum this summer, only 5% reported having visitors three or more times a week, versus 56% before the pandemic, and 76% said they felt lonelier.

Technology can help overcome some of these problems. But online platforms like Zoom are far from a perfect substitute for the human contact we need, says Dr. Pizzo.

“We are social beings, and we need human contact,” he says.

Yeppers. Life expectancy for retirees is dropping by A YEAR because of the long-term effects of loneliness.