The paradox of better population health after the pandemic: what is the cause?

The temporary improvement in population health indicators, as measured by Healthy Life Years (HLY), during the pandemic in some countries was most likely an artifact resulting from the mortality of the majority of vulnerable individuals with poor health status. It is unlikely that this apparent improvement reflects healthier lifestyles or genuine gains in the efficiency or resilience of health systems during the pandemic. Therefore, the interpretation and use of HLY values from the COVID-19 period in Europe should be carefully reconsidered and further validated.