Aging, Social Distancing, and COVID-19 Risk: Who is more Vulnerable and Why?

Abstract

Perceived social support represents an important predictor of healthy aging. The global COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the face of social relationships and revealed elderly to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of social isolation. Social distancing may represent a double-edged sword for older adults, protecting them against COVID-19 infection while also sacrificing personal interaction and attention at a critical time. Here, we consider the moderating role of social relationships as a potential influence on stress resilience, allostatic load, and vulnerability to infection and adverse health outcomes in the elderly population. Understanding the mechanisms how social support enhances resilience to stress and promotes mental and physical health into old age will enable new preventive strategies. Targeted social interventions may provide effective relief from the impact of COVID-19-related isolation and loneliness. In this regard, a pandemic may also offer a window of opportunity for raising awareness and mobilizing resources for new strategies that help build resilience in our aging population and future generations.

Association of self‐rated health with type and frequency of social interaction during the declaration of COVID‐19 state of emergency among Japanese community‐dwelling oldest‐old adults

“…Moreover, interventions that focus on an individual's activity and engagement in known social interactions (e.g., face-to-face, telephone) that are being experienced may be effective in maintaining and improving health. 27 We found no significant association between social interaction status and SRH among oldest-old men. This result can be inferred from previous studies.…”

“…For them, it may be important to provide help in adjusting to ICT. Moreover, interventions that focus on an individual's activity and engagement in known social interactions (e.g., face‐to‐face, telephone) that are being experienced may be effective in maintaining and improving health 27 …”

Social Isolation Stress Modulates Pregnancy Outcomes and the Inflammatory Profile of Rat Uterus

“…Our study is timely considering the unprecedented global SIS imposed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus starting in 2020 [ 25 , 27 , 85 ]. Pregnant women experienced various degrees of isolation during their pregnancies, and a rise in depression and anxiety was observed [ 86 ].…”

“…Social isolation stress (SIS) is characterized by prolonged lack of social support and interactions which can cause psychological distress, and its prevalence is increasing worldwide [ 19 , 20 ]. Perceived SIS is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease and stroke [ 21 ], cancer [ 22 ], psychiatric disorders [ 23 , 24 , 25 ], and early mortality [ 26 , 27 ]. When rats are deprived of physical social interactions during SIS rearing, while maintaining regular olfactory, auditory, and visual contact with their counterparts [ 28 , 29 ], they experience mild psychosocial stress [ 30 , 31 ].…”

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among frontline police personnel in Mumbai, India

“…The smaller sample size of females may also be a confounding factor. Higher seroprevalence in the 18–39 age group was observed which could be because older age people are more cautious, keep themselves updated with the knowledge, take stringent precautions due to risk of having the severe disease with an underlying medical condition, proven as the important risk factor [ 13 , 14 ]. The lower seroprevalence in officers as compared to non-officers could be due to the work profile, and their direct public contact is limited, thereby limiting exposure.…”