> COVID dropped US life expectancy by about 2 years.

It was a temporary blip. The most recent life expectancy numbers, published last month by the CDC, show that the life expectancy in the US rebounded, and it is at a historical all time high, for both sexes:

2019 (before Covid): males - 76.3, females - 81.4 ([1], page 5)

2021 (after 2 years of decreases): males - 73.5, females - 79.3 ([2], page 3)

2022 (1st year of rebound): males - 74.8, females - 80.2 [3]

2024 (3rd year of rebound): males - 76.5, females - 81.4 [4]

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr71/nvsr71-01.pdf

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-12.pdf

[3] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db521.htm

[4] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db548.htm