Why Older Adults
Are More Vulnerable
to COVID-19 Even before it began to spread across the world,
early data from China suggested that older adults
were the most vulnerable to COVID-19. Of the first 72,314 patients in China, the fatality
rate for those between 70-79 was 9.8 percent.
For those over 80, it was 18 percent. With new data emerging from Italy,
the second-most-affected country, it is even
more clear just how at-risk older adults are. According to a March 4 analysis conducted by Italy’s
national health institute, 81 was the average age of the
105 patients who, at the time, had died of COVID-19. There are a few factors
as to why older people
are more vulnerable. Older adults tend to have less
robust immune systems, making
it harder for them to fight off new
infections like this coronavirus. Their systems have less white blood cells, meaning their
body's ability to find and fight pathogens is greatly decreased. Older adults also have a higher prevalence of
chronic health conditions, such as cancer or diabetes,
making it harder for their bodies to ward off infections. This is also why people with
pre-existing conditions, regardless
of their age, are also at a higher risk. Finally, social factors play a role in the vulnerability
of older adults to COVID-19, as many reside in
nursing homes or long-term care facilities. This risk was evident at the Life Care Center
in Kirkland, Washington, where the coronavirus
quickly spread between 50 residents in the
center, killing 23 of them.
