OUR loneliness in the US is as deadly a health risk as smoking ten or more cigarettes a day, costing the health care industry billions of dollars each year, a senior US health official has warned.

Speaking of the latest public health outbreak, Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Army Surgeon General (a.k.a. Senior Officer in the U.S. Army Medical Department, serving as Commander of Army Medical Assistance), stated that half of American adults have experienced loneliness.

“We know that loneliness is a common feeling that many people experience. It looks like hunger or thirst. This is the sensation that the body sends us when something that we need to survive is missing, ”he said in an interview with The Associated Press.

“Millions of people in America are fighting on the sidelines, and this is not normal. That’s why I made this warning to highlight the struggles many people are experiencing,” he added.

The US official’s statements are aimed at informing and raising awareness about the problem of loneliness, although they don’t “unlock” federal funds in treatment programs.

Research shows that Americans who participate little in activities, whether religious, social or even familial, report a constant intensity of feelings of loneliness.

However, this crisis has been greatly exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemicthat closed schools, churches and community centers and condemned millions of Americans and non-Americans to isolation from friends and family.

As Murthy’s related report confirms, people have drastically reduced their social interaction, reducing the time they spent together. The Americans passed by. about 20 minutes per day of face-to-face contact in 2020 compared to 60 minutes two decades ago.

An epidemic of loneliness especially affects young people aged 15-24 years. This age group reported 70% time reduction who spent time with friends during the pandemic.

Loneliness increases risk premature death by about 30%, with the report showing that people with limited social connections are at greater risk of stroke and heart disease. Isolation also increases the likelihood of depression, anxiety, and dementia.

Source: Associated Press.