‘Older people taking brunt of pandemic’
THE Covid-19 pandemic has robbed older people of their lives with many bearing the brunt of the virus, Dr Mike Ryan has said.
The executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies programme said this year will be remembered as one of the ‘darkest episodes’ for many communities around the world for a century.
Dr Ryan also warned that the virus has ‘amplified’ the spread of ageism with older adults being stereotyped as frail and vulnerable.
Dr Ryan made the comments as he delivered the keynote address at the online Irish Gerontological Society and Alone Willie Bermingham lecture.
Mr Ryan said: ‘As of today we have 33.5million cases worldwide and over one million deaths.
‘We have seen that a disproportionate number of people in the second half of their lives are bearing the brunt of Covid-19.
‘ It had three different types of impact on older people; the direct and lifethreatening impact on their health, i mpact on their social lives, their mental health and indirect suffering of the virus on the health system which is supposed to serve so much in so many of their health needs.
‘Many older persons have not only lost in terms of health, but also in terms of social and family contact.
‘The virus has also amplified the spread of ageism with older adults being wrongly stereotyped as frail, as vulnerable and in need of protection. Regrettably Covid-19 has shown how prevalent ageism is in our society and the strength and limitations of the responses by governments.’
Dr Ryan also said that Covid-19 has exposed dysfunction and fragility in many public systems including health, long-term care and social protection.
The WHO chief said the pandemic has robbed many older people of their lives.
‘ However, i t could and should mark a turning point i n our conception and approaches to the care for older people,’ he added.
‘We need to cherish those who brought us to where we are, who have given us everything we have.
‘These relationships shape us for the rest of our lives.’
HSE chief clinical officer Colm Henry said the evidence shows that the virus is as ‘lethal’ in those age groups and vulnerable groups as it ever was.
‘In Ireland on August 1 we saw a sharp spike in 18 to 25-year-olds and it’s inevitable that will seep through to older people,’ he added.
‘ No protections will be strong enough to withstand uncontrolled community transmission of this virus.’
‘They have lost family contact’