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One population I fear is being overlooked (yet again) during #Ontario's 3rd wave is community-dwelling older adults.
There is no doubt that the new variants of concern make #COVID19 a different disease, with increased risk for younger populations: https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/covid-19-hospitalizations-icu-admissions-and-deaths-associated-with-the-new-variants-of-concern/
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There is no doubt that the new variants of concern make #COVID19 a different disease, with increased risk for younger populations: https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/covid-19-hospitalizations-icu-admissions-and-deaths-associated-with-the-new-variants-of-concern/
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With this changing disease come more tragedies of younger adults—especially essential workers—being hospitalized and dying from #COVID19.
These stories must be told and Ontario must enact supports like paid sick leave.
But sometimes missing are the stories of older adults.
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These stories must be told and Ontario must enact supports like paid sick leave.
But sometimes missing are the stories of older adults.
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In #Ontario, 21.1% of people 60+ and 77.2% of people 80+ have received at least 1 dose of a #CovidVaccine: https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/ncov/epi/covid-19-vaccine-uptake-ontario-epi-summary.pdf?la=en
Yet in the last 14 days, older adults still accounted for 76/85 (89%) of deaths and 715/1171 (61%) of hospitalizations: https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/data-and-analysis/infectious-disease/covid-19-data-surveillance/covid-19-data-tool?tab=ageSex
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Yet in the last 14 days, older adults still accounted for 76/85 (89%) of deaths and 715/1171 (61%) of hospitalizations: https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/data-and-analysis/infectious-disease/covid-19-data-surveillance/covid-19-data-tool?tab=ageSex
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Why are we not hearing many stories about older adults during the third wave?
Perhaps it's because they are no longer dying en masse in #LTC homes.
But it also likely reflects our "identifiable lives bias"—we respond more to lives we identify with: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2767950
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Perhaps it's because they are no longer dying en masse in #LTC homes.
But it also likely reflects our "identifiable lives bias"—we respond more to lives we identify with: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2767950
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I am in no way minimizing the illness and death of younger people—especially essential workers and those living in #COVID19 hotspots.
I am making the point that we also need to remain focused on older adults who are also disproportionately impacted by the #COVID19 pandemic.
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I am making the point that we also need to remain focused on older adults who are also disproportionately impacted by the #COVID19 pandemic.
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As #Ontario appropriately adapts its vaccination strategy to better protect essential workers, it must also adapt to better protect older adults.
This includes mobile on-site vaccination of NORCs ( https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/mobile-on-site-covid-19-vaccination-of-naturally-occurring-retirement-communities-by-neighbourhood-risk-in-toronto/) and homebound older adults: https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/mobile-in-home-covid-19-vaccination-of-ontario-homebound-older-adults-by-neighbourhood-risk/
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This includes mobile on-site vaccination of NORCs ( https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/mobile-on-site-covid-19-vaccination-of-naturally-occurring-retirement-communities-by-neighbourhood-risk-in-toronto/) and homebound older adults: https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/mobile-in-home-covid-19-vaccination-of-ontario-homebound-older-adults-by-neighbourhood-risk/
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We also need to shorten the vaccine second dose interval for the very oldest, who have less response to 1 dose: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.26.21252512v1
#Ontario only shortened the interval for (younger) immunocompromised people, once again overlooking older adults: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/03/29/ontario-revises-2nd-vaccine-dose-timeline-for-immunocompromised/
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#Ontario only shortened the interval for (younger) immunocompromised people, once again overlooking older adults: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/03/29/ontario-revises-2nd-vaccine-dose-timeline-for-immunocompromised/
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During the #COVID19 pandemic, we have often neglected and abandoned our older adult population:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/fear-ageism-not-aging-how-an-ageist-society-is-failing-its-elders-1.5978190
As the 3rd wave intensifies in #Ontario, we most focus on supporting and protecting all vulnerable populations, including the oldest members of society.
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https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/fear-ageism-not-aging-how-an-ageist-society-is-failing-its-elders-1.5978190
As the 3rd wave intensifies in #Ontario, we most focus on supporting and protecting all vulnerable populations, including the oldest members of society.
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