Australia: Survey shows life expectancy increased thanks to lockdown

Life expectancy for Australians increased by an average of 0.7 years, for both men and women, between 2019 and 2020, year in which the pandemic COVID-19, according to a new study from the Australian National University (ANU).

The ANU researchers added the Australian data to an Oxford University study that compared life expectancy in different countries before and during the coronavirus outbreak, and the results were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

The team of researchers claims that the 0.7-year increase in one year is the largest in the country since the 1990s. They say, in fact, that there has been an almost similar increase across the States, with New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria at 0.5 years.

These figures rank Australia very highly compared to other countries, with Denmark and Norway following, with 0.1 and 0.2 years for women and men, respectively. In contrast, the US, had a reduction in life expectancy of 1.7 and 2.2 years for women and men, respectively.

Researchers attribute the increase in Australia to the measures the country took to address COVID-19 in 2020, especially border closures and lockdowns, even though there was psychological pressure about the fires and the pandemic. Fewer more common infections were reported in 2020, with 20% reduction in deaths from pneumonia and influenza. Fatalities also decreased as there were fewer road traffic fatalities.

Professor Vladimir Canudas-Romo, one of the authors of the study, pointed out that there was also a reduction in deaths not related to infectious diseases. «This includes a reduction in deaths due to cancer or cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes, which resulted in a significant reduction in the mortality rate.»

Professor of Public Health at the University of Melbourne, Tim Driscoll, told the ABC that the findings of the study are interesting, given the devastating impact of COVID-19 on society at large. «It is surprising that life expectancy improved more than expected or more than in recent years,» he said.

He added, however, that the real concern is how many other diseases may have «passed» without being diagnosed in the past two years, as many have avoided going to hospital or doctor's appointments to avoid exposure to the coronavirus. «It is not surprising to see a decline in patients from an infection. And, indeed, if we look at influenza as an example, there has been an incredible reduction in cases and deaths from COVID-19 onwards,» he said.

But, he added, there is considerable concern in the health community that people cannot go to the doctor because they are afraid of getting COVID-19, and that cancer patients are not being tested. He stressed that how the reduction in doctor's visits would affect life expectancy in the future remained to be seen, and noted that the impact on mental health was also significant.

Life expectancy, he said, is indicative of how many years we live, but not of the quality of life. It does not count factors that cannot kill someone, but can make their life less happy.