Geriatric Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Problems, Considerations, Exigencies, and Beyond

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic wreaked havoc worldwide, with more than 20 million confirmed cases and nearly 0. 75 million deaths as of 10th August 2020. Various factors determine the severity and symptoms of this infection. Older age and underlying diseases are the challenges being faced in controlling and treating COVID-19. In 2019, 703 million of the global population was older than 65 years of age. The estimated mortality due to COVID-19 in people older than 76 years of age is reportedly 18%. Frequent infections in older people, higher disease severity, and increased mortality are major challenges in the implementation of appropriate preventive measures and future strategies to protect against this disease in geriatric population. Poor health status, weak immune function, lowered organ function, increased probability of multiple underlying diseases, and poor attention to personal health can increase the susceptibility to various diseases in the geriatric population. Concerning inadequate immunity, the decrease expression of receptors and exaggerated pathophysiologic responses can be debilitating. However, future studies will reveal the hidden facets in these aspects in this COVID-19 catastrophe. In this article, we reviewed the main concerns of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the geriatric population, including the risk of acquiring severe COVID-19 resulting in mortality, variation in clinical manifestations, and other pandemic-related concerns. We also discussed the need for increasing attention toward the elderly, taking appropriate prevention and control measures, and considering geriatric-related adjustments in vaccine design and development.

Willingness to Pay for a COVID-19 Vaccine

“…For example, if a country faces a significant budget constraint, it could provide the vaccine for free to at-risk and economically vulnerable groups only and have the higher-income population pay for the vaccine. Bearing in mind that the WTP could be influenced by individual perception of the effectiveness of the vaccine, the baseline scenario presented to respondents and different socioeconomic variables, the findings are in line with those of Harapan et al [ 18 ].…”

“…There are few studies on WTP for the upcoming vaccine against COVID 19; García and Cerda [ 6 ] for Chile, Harapan et al [ 18 ] for Indonesia, Wong et al [ 11 ] for Malaysia, and Sarasty et al [ 19 ] for Ecuador. They all used the contingent valuation method (CVM); while the first used the double dichotomous format, the other two used the simple format, and found average values of WTP between US$57.20 and US$277.…”

Macrolevel association of COVID-19 with non-communicable disease risk factors in India

“…A significant association of aging with adverse outcomes in COVID-19 has been reported in China, Europe and USA [ 1 ]. In India a study reported heightened adverse events among the elderly using a modeling algorithm [ 32 ]. It is well known that NCD risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes as well as NCDs increase with age [ 24 , 33 ], and this could be a reason of greater COVID-19 related deaths in better developed states as observed in the present study ( Table 3 ).…”

Zinc, Vitamin D and Vitamin C: Perspectives for COVID-19 With a Focus on Physical Tissue Barrier Integrity

“…According to epidemiological data, most deaths from COVID-19 are concentrated in the elderly with common comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes or obesity (62)(63)(64). In general, this group of individuals has a higher prevalence of zinc deficiency (65)(66)(67)(68)(69), given that aging is associated with a progressive decline in zinc status in the body due to several factors, including reduced food intake, decreased nutrient absorption efficiency and use of medications (70,71).…”