ASSRJ-9822.pdf

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 8, No. 3

Publication Date: March 25, 2021

DOI:10.14738/assrj.83.9822. Ngwu, C. N., & Iwuagwu, A. O. (2021). Covid-19 and Older Adults: The Paradox of Control Measures. Advances in Social Sciences

Research Journal, 8(3) 303-305.

Covid-19 and Older Adults: The Paradox of Control Measures

Christopher Ndubuisi Ngwu

Department of Social Work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Anthony Obinna Iwuagwu

Department of Social Work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

ABSTRACT

It is no longer news that Covid-19 pandemic has become a major public

health issue around the world and affected day to day activities of

public life. Medical experts around the world were overwhelmed by

the Covid-19 virus outbreak and for a long time were unable to provide

a vaccine or any pharmaceutical treatment. Countries were therefore

forced to adopt unprecedented Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)

measures to mitigate the spread and impact of the virus. These

measures which are non-pharmacological includes, social distancing,

social isolation, lockdown, constant washing of hands, wearing of face

mask and protective gloves etc. However, these measures aimed at

protecting the health care systems, have had some side effects on the

health and well-being of older adults. In this letter, we have highlighted

social distancing as the main challenge and a paradox for older peoples

wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. The merits of the

IPC measures notwithstanding, its long and short term consequences

for the mental health of older adults calls for concern. Among other

recommendations, professionals of ageing and geriatrics are

recommended to help set a balance in IPC measures and mental health

of older people in this Covid-19 era.

Keywords: Covid-19; Older Adults; Social distancing; Mental health

INTRIDUCTION

Dear Editor,

As at 13 Oct. 2020, Covid-19 claimed 1,081,909 lives with 37,792,933 confirmed cases and

28,377,896 recoveries across 213 countries and territories (Worldometer, 2020). The novel

coronavirus popularly called Covid-19 became a major global health concern for all population,

more especially for the growing ageing population (50+) who are the most at-risk, and share the

major proportion of morbidity and mortality in the pandemic (World Health Organization, 2020).

Since December 2019 when the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Wuhan China, the virus has

spread rapidly all over the world, posing significant economic, social, health and environmental

challenges to countries (Cohen, 2020). Thus, Covid-19 had attracted significant attention resulting

in stops of daily activities and changed life patterns across the world.

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 8, Issue 3, March-2021

More worrisome, for a very long while there was no vaccine as the virus overwhelmed medical

experts across the world (Li & De Clercq, 2020). Therefore non-pharmaceutical practices such as

regular hand washing, wearing of nose mask and face shield, maintaining social and physical

distance, lockdown, amongst other preventive measures were recommended by World Health

Organization to contain the spread of the virus. Despite the application of these preventive

measures to mitigate the novel coronavirus and to protect the physical health of older people, the

supposed preventive measures were not without their own long and short term negative effects

on older adults (Galea et al., 2020). Lockdown in this context means a suspension of all social,

economic and religious gathering and a total stay-at-home directive by government, as well as

quarantine for people who are at risk or show symptoms of coronavirus.

However, social distancing accelerated the spread of misinformation and had negative

consequences for mental wellbeing of old people. Likewise, lockdown restricts movement and had

physical and mental health impact on older adults (Mukhtar, 2020a). It was therefore a paradox to

encourage social distancing and social isolation among older adults who abinitio faced adverse

health and psychological effect as a result of loneliness and social isolation (Valtorta & Hanratty,

2012). For this reason, professionals of ageing and geriatrics have suggested replacing the word

'Social distance' with the term 'Spatial distance' or 'Physical distance' (Abel & Mcqueen, 2020;

Matthew & Matlock, 2011). 'Physical distancing' or 'Spatial distancing' refers to keeping 6 feet

distance from other persons outside one's household.

Historically, older people are known to engage in community services, attend religious and

cultural functions and are visited by relations, children and grandchildren as a means of social

interaction. Social distancing can therefore have significant implications for older people's mental

well-being (Xiao et al., 2020). Currently, the wider influence of COVID-19 on global mental health

in general, and geriatric mental health in particular, is yet to be fully understood, whereas

depressive symptoms and mental health issues are common among old people. Mukhtar (2020b:

p1) noted that "the rapid transmission of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, higher mortality rate,

self-isolation, social-distancing and quarantine could exacerbate the risk of mental health

problems". Be that as it may, both existing and new mental health issues could potentially impair

the emotional and cognitive functioning of older adults. Worse still, new cases of affective

disorders have been associated with the pandemic and has created barriers to assessing treatment

(Wand et al., 2020).

We recommend that remarkable efforts must therefore be immediately taken into account to

address the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the physical and mental well-being of older

adults (Cao et al., 2020). Concrete efforts should therefore be made to cater for the overall

wellbeing of older people who are ageing in place or otherwise so they could have the basic

necessities of life through palliative and communicate about the meaning of social in-contact to

mitigate their physical and mental health consequences (Rana, Mukhtar & Mukhtar, 2020). The

introduction of innovative technology will help to mitigate the effects of loneliness on older

people. Further, clinicians and social workers, health care workers and professionals of ageing and

Geriatric should take measures to encourage those who visit their clinic to ensure they constantly

call their old parents or engage them via telephone calls, Skype, Zoom, Facebook, Watsap

messages etc. These efforts will help cushion the negative effects of loneliness on older adults in

case of future similar occurrence.

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Ngwu, C. N., & Iwuagwu, A. O. (2021). Covid-19 and Older Adults: The Paradox of Control Measures. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8(3)

303-305.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.83.9822 305

Funding

No funding received.

Declaration of competing interest

No conflicts of interest was declared by the author

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