"The pandemic has caused the highest excessive mortality among the oldest cohorts and, as already noted, this outcome is obviously linked to our very successful efforts to extend life expectancy. **I, born in 1943, have been among the tens of millions of beneficiaries of this trend—but we cannot have it both ways: longer life expectancy will be accompanied by greater vulnerability**. Not surprisingly, comorbidities of old age—ranging from fairly common hypertension and diabetes to less common forms of cancer and compromised immunity—have been the best predictors of excess viral mortality." ([Location 4267](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08SGC3TD3&location=4267)) --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[pandemic]], [[COVID-19]], [[life-expectancy]], [[resilience]] **Source** -- [[202412030828 - B - How the World Really Works]]