RESEARCH conducted by the United Nations (UN) has shown that although all age groups are at risk of contracting COVID-19, older persons are at a significantly higher risk of mortality once infected.

A policy brief titled, ‘The Impact of COVID-19 on Older Persons,’ has shown that those over 80 years old are dying at five times the average rate.

At least 66 per cent of people aged 70 and over have at least one underlying condition, placing them at increased risk of severe impact from COVID-19.

This brief was launched on Friday by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who stated that beyond its immediate health impact, the pandemic is putting older people at greater risk of poverty, discrimination and isolation.

According to the data, over 95 per cent of fatalities due to COVID-19 in Europe have been of people 60 years or older; in the United States, 80 per cent of deaths were among adults 65 and over and in China, approximately 80 per cent of deaths occurred among adults aged 60 years or older.

It noted that workforce shortages disrupt the provision of care and directly impact older persons, causing further isolation.

In the midst of the pandemic, overburdened hospitals and medical facilities are faced with the difficult decision on how to use scarce resources.

The brief stated: “Human rights experts have noted with concern that decisions about the use of scarce medical resources, including ventilators, have in some cases been made based on age, or on generalised assumptions about the impact of a particular diagnosis, such as dementia, on overall health, life expectancy or chances of survival.”

Meanwhile, Guterres stressed the four points that no person, young or old, is expendable; improved social support is needed; all social, economic and humanitarian responses must take the needs of older people fully into account and older people are not invisible or powerless.

“To get through this pandemic together, we need a surge in global and national solidarity and the contributions of all members of society, including older people. As we look to recover better, we will need ambition and vision to build more inclusive, sustainable and age-friendly societies that are fit for the future,” he said.