TY - JOUR
T1 - COVID-19
T2 - risk accumulation among biologically and socially vulnerable older populations
AU - Calderón-Larrañaga, Amaia
AU - Dekhtyar, Serhiy
AU - Vetrano, Davide L.
AU - Bellander, Tom
AU - Fratiglioni, Laura
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/11
Y1 - 2020/11
N2 - Emerging data show that the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 are being disproportionately borne by individuals who are not only biologically, but also socially vulnerable. Based on preliminary data from Sweden and other reports, in this paper we propose a conceptual framework whereby different factors related to biological and social vulnerability may explain the specific COVID-19 burden among older people. There is already some evidence showing large social disparities in the prevention, treatment, prognosis and/or long-term consequences of COVID-19. The remaining question is to what extent these affect older adults specifically. We provide the rationale to address this question with scientific methods and proper study designs, where the interplay between individuals’ biomedical status and their social environment is the focus. Only through interdisciplinary research integrating biological, clinical and social data will we be able to provide new insights into the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and inform actions aimed at reducing older adults’ vulnerability to COVID-19 or other similar pandemics in the future.
AB - Emerging data show that the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 are being disproportionately borne by individuals who are not only biologically, but also socially vulnerable. Based on preliminary data from Sweden and other reports, in this paper we propose a conceptual framework whereby different factors related to biological and social vulnerability may explain the specific COVID-19 burden among older people. There is already some evidence showing large social disparities in the prevention, treatment, prognosis and/or long-term consequences of COVID-19. The remaining question is to what extent these affect older adults specifically. We provide the rationale to address this question with scientific methods and proper study designs, where the interplay between individuals’ biomedical status and their social environment is the focus. Only through interdisciplinary research integrating biological, clinical and social data will we be able to provide new insights into the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and inform actions aimed at reducing older adults’ vulnerability to COVID-19 or other similar pandemics in the future.
KW - aging
KW - COVID-19
KW - social disparities
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85089906485&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85089906485&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101149
DO - 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101149
M3 - Review article
C2 - 32818650
AN - SCOPUS:85089906485
VL - 63
JO - Ageing Research Reviews
JF - Ageing Research Reviews
SN - 1568-1637
M1 - 101149
ER -