More than 28 million "extra years of life" have been lost during the coronavirus pandemic, a new study has found.
By comparing the lives cut short by COVID-19 and the estimated normal life spans of those who died, researchers, led by a team at Oxford University, calculated that millions of years of life have been lost from premature deaths.
The findings also follow a significant fall in life expectancy around the globe.
The new research assessed the toll of the pandemic on 37 countries, including England and Wales.
It comes as the UK reported a further 217 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, taking the total to 141,181 within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test since the pandemic began.
The authors of the study wrote: "More than 28 million excess years of life were lost in 2020 in 31 countries, with a higher rate in men than women.
"Excess years of life lost associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 were more than five times higher than those associated with the seasonal influenza epidemic in 2015."
The figures come after global estimates from Johns Hopkins University suggest that the number of deaths due to COVID-19 around the world has now passed five million.
But the World Health Organisation has said the true figure is much higher.
The number of years of life lost was higher than expected in all countries except Taiwan, New Zealand, Iceland, Denmark, South Korea, and Norway.
© Sky News 2021
Four Men Arrested Following Rogue Trader Activities In East Cowes
Rugby Players Set To Scale Great Heights For Teddy
Drug Driving, Domestic Abuse And Stalking Among Arrests Made As Police Target Isle Of Wight Criminals
Work Begins On ‘Monumental’ Mural Project At Historic Columbine Building
More Acts Added To Isle Of Wight Festival Line-Up
St Mary’s Vaccination Hub Gets Ready For Spring Covid-19 Vaccinations
Twenty Isle Of Wight Pubs Under Threat As Stonegate Issues Profit Warning
Fundraiser Launched As Kezi's Kindness Founder Diagnosed With Incurable Cancer
Bon Voyage — White-Tailed Eagle Soars To France
Goddards Brewery Scoops Four Top Industry Awards At International Competition
Briddlesford Road Crash Results In Two Injured
Isle Of Wight MP Extolls Virtues Of Joint Emergency Service Officers For Isle Of Wight
Island Labour Announces Parliamentary Candidates As Quigley Vows To 'Take Fight' To Bob Seely
Can You Help Police To Identify Man Linked To Waitrose Theft?
Ryde Town Council In Crackdown On Dog Fouling
Former Patient Opens New Intensive Care Unit
Isle Of Wight Primary School Place Allocations Announced For September
The Rules Islanders Need To Know For Police And Crime Commissioner Election Postal Voting
Family Pays Tribute To Paul Hart Following Fatal Newport Collision
Teenager Sentenced For Planning Isle Of Wight Festival Terrorist Attack
