A recent study (not COVID related) finds that over several decades the life expectancy of the population in general is lower and dropping in red areas, that is, those which have Republican political administrations.
Just one example is NY vs Iowa. 20 years ago they had nearly identical life expectancies but today you will live longer in New York State than if you live in Iowa.
Just since 1990 life expectancy in NY State has increased from 74.7 years to 80.4 years.
CDC ranks states with the longest life expectancies as follows:
- No. 8: Washington. ...
- No. 7: New Jersey. ...
- No. 6: Connecticut. ...
- No. 5: Massachusetts. ...
- No. 4: Minnesota. ...
- No. 3: New York. ...
- No. 2: California. Total life expectancy: 80.9 years. ...
- No. 1: Hawaii. Total life expectancy: 80.9 years.
States with the lowest life expectancy?
Mississippi (74.6)
West Virginia (74.9)
Alabama (74.9)
Kentucky (75.1)
Arkansas (75.4)
Oklahoma (75.5)
Louisiana (75.5)
Tennessee (76.1)
South Carolina (76.2)
Ohio (76.6)
Notice any pattern?
And, while there may be many reasons for a lower
life expectancy such as poverty (Mississippi and WVA
for example), the fact that it keeps dropping as opposed
to Blue states where life expectancy is increasing
eliminates that argument.
COVID
The reduction in life expectancy in Republican led areas
(county by county) over the past 20 years was not related to COVID.
However in GOP dominated areas (with lower vaccination rates
and lower mask compliance rates with politicians fighting against
both vaccinations and mask wearing) there was a further dramatic
and nearly immediate increase in death rates.
Reductions in life expectancy appear to be tied directly to
universal GOP policies reducing Medicaid access, school lunches,
child care, welfare payments, food stamps, and investments in
new hospitals.
But the only definite coloration is with majority political party.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220609173704.htm
"Researchers examined mortality rates and federal and state election data for all counties in the U.S. from 2001 to 2019. The team found what they call a 'mortality gap' -- a widening difference between age-adjusted death rates in counties that had voted for a Democrat or a Republican in previous presidential and governor elections."
https://www.salon.com/2022/06/10/mortality-gap-red-blue-states/
The general decline in life expectancy is obviously not related to President Trump
since it has been taking place for decades. Simply put GOP health/poverty related policies
have resulted in a decline in quality of life and length of life.
https://criticalmedicalnews.blogspot.com/2022/06/lower-life-expectancy-tied-to.html
That study data excluded COVID so it did not look at the past 3-4 years.
Unfortunately during COVID the results have gotten extreme.
There has not been a small 5-10% drop in life expectancy during that period due to COVID.
While 5% is only important to those who die early by a few months, the situation in all GOP dominated states and counties is of serious concern. The chance of dying of COVID related
health problems in Red areas wasn't 5-10%, it was 200-220% higher. That is, if you lived through COVID in a republican area you were twice, actually more than twice as likely to die.
