NEW YORK: The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is devastating on older persons. The numbers are staggering — more than 80 percent of the fatalities because of the coronavirus in the United States and East Asia occurred among adults aged 65 and over. In Europe and Australia, the figures are even higher — 94 and 97 percent of the deaths were persons aged 60 and over.
However, when contagions spread, older persons were denied access to beds and ventilators despite being the most vulnerable group. Human rights experts were alarmed by the decisions made around the use of scarce medical resources in hospitals and intensive care units, discriminating solely based on age. Despite being helpless and most at risk, older persons were not prioritized; they were de facto sacrificed, denied treatment and emergency support.
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