Are older people with disabilities neglected in the COVID-19 pandemic?

Hannah Kuper,Tom Shakespeare

doi:10.1016/s2468-2667(21)00077-3

Abstract

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Are older people with disabilities neglected in the COVID-19 pandemic?

Highlights

Older people have been a central focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more than 90% of deaths in the UK have been among people aged 60 years or older
The adjusted proportion of people with disabilities who had symptoms of mental health conditions were high: 28·9% of disabled people had clinically significant depressive symptoms, 15·8% (13·9–17·6) had clinically significant anxiety, 39·6% (36·8–42·3) had clinically significant lone lin ess, and 45·9% (43·0–48·9) had poor sleep quality
People with physical disabilities are likely to have an underlying condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis or stroke. Many of these are conditions that put people at higher risk from COVID-19.4 Health messaging in the UK clearly stated that most people who died from COVID-19 had pre-existing conditions

Summary

Introduction

Older people have been a central focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more than 90% of deaths in the UK have been among people aged 60 years or older. Are older people with disabilities neglected in the COVID-19 pandemic?

Results

Conclusion