It is well known that the coronavirus disproportionately affects older men and women, particularly those with preexisting health conditions. To protect them, health experts recommended safely isolating our most vulnerable populations, thereby shielding them from the spread of COVID-19.
Insofar as this solution has worked, it has also brought its own costs. Isolation is its own health risk, and it can be deadly.
A lack of social interaction is proven to put senior citizens at risk for dementia and other serious medical conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Isolation can significantly increase a person’s risk of premature death, and it’s associated with about a 50% increased risk of dementia, according to a recent study. Loneliness is also associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.
Higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide appear alongside isolation.
The elderly are more alone than ever, thanks to the lockdowns. In a study that’s been underway since April, 85% of older adults said they’ve been socializing rarely or not at all. Forty-one percent of those adults reported worsening loneliness, according to Dr. Carla Perissinotto, an associate professor and geriatrician at the University of California, San Francisco, who testified before Congress in June.
We are social creatures, built for human interaction and the comfort it provides. Without it, our conditions will worsen, especially among those who are already at risk.
“Everybody is trying to protect them,” Atouria Bodaghi, a registered nurse at the Mayo Clinic, told the Wall Street Journal. “I understand. But this is not the right way.”
