Years of potential life lost secondary to COVID-19: Cook County, Illinois

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to substantial morbidity and mortality world-wide. Evidence suggests that ethnic and racial minorities have been disproportionately affected in the United States, particularly within major population centers. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cook County, Illinois, and found that the rate of years of potential life lost (YPLL) was 4.8 times greater in the most affected racial group (YPLL: 2289/10 0,0 0 0 population in Hispanic people) than in the least affected group (YPLL: 480/10 0,0 0 0 population in Asian people). (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected ethnic and racial minorities in the United States, especially within major population centers. A study in Cook County, Illinois found that the rate of years of potential life lost was 4.8 times greater in the most affected racial group compared to the least affected group.