More than 28 million 'extra years of life' lost around the globe to Covid

Figures from Johns Hopkins University have suggested the number of deaths due to the coronavirus globally has now passed five million, but the World Health Organisation has said the true figure is much higher. File photo: PA

The toll of the coronavirus pandemic has been laid bare in a stark new study.

As well as significant falls in life expectancy in many countries, the number of "years lost" from premature deaths soared. By comparing the lives cut short by Covid-19 and the estimated life spans of those who died, researchers calculated that more than 28 million "extra years of life" were lost in 2020.