Issue Brief on Older Persons and COVID-19: A Defining Moment for Informed, Inclusive and Targeted Response

Ageing and COVID-19||

As the world grapples with an unparalleled health crisis, older persons have become one of its more visible victims. The pandemic spreads among persons of all ages and conditions, yet available evidence indicates that older persons and those with underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of serious illness and death from the Covid-19 disease. Often, chronic health conditions are more prevalent in old age, increasing risks for older adults.

Available data from China show that approximately 80 per cent of deaths in the country occurred among adults aged 60 years and over. Similarly, as of March 16, 80 per cent of deaths associated with Covid-19 in the United States were among adults aged 65 and over, with highest fatalities among those 85 years and older. Italy reported that as of mid March, 7.2 per cent of Covid-19 patients had died, which may be attributed to the high rates of infection among older persons, with 38 per cent of Italy’s Covid19 cases affecting people aged 70 years and over. The World Health Organization has reported that over 95 per cent of fatalities due to Covid-19 in Europe have been 60 years or older. Several sources suggest that the death toll in the European region might be higher, especially as data from fatalities in nursing homes become available.

Read the issue brief here.

News |
Football unites fans worldwide – but on Wednesday it matched the sport’s global reach with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the lead-up to World Football Day, marked on 25 May.The Football for the Goals Forum brought UN leaders…
News |
Building a Better World Together: Cooperative Contributions to the SDGs is a policy brief series developed in support of the 2025 UN International Year of Cooperatives to showcase how cooperatives drive progress across the Sustainable Development…
News |
The 18th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP18) will take place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 to 12 June 2025. As one of the world’s largest gatherings…