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. 2021 Jan 15:8:609695.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.609695. eCollection 2020.

COVID-19 Amplifiers on Health Inequity Among the Older Populations

Sora Lee  1
Affiliations

COVID-19 Amplifiers on Health Inequity Among the Older Populations

Sora Lee. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is affecting the population disproportionately and is continuously widening the health gap among the population. Based on some recent studies on COVID-19 and the older population, the various cascades toward health inequity have been projected. This study highlights how the COVID-19 is met by health inequity triggers, such as global trade inequality, ageist social regulations, and the existing social inequity. While those triggers are applicable to all the populations, there seems to be specific amplifiers for health inequity among the older populations. In particular, six types of amplifiers have been identified: (1) expansion of riskscape, (2) reduction of social ties, (3) uncertainty of future, (4) losing trust in institutions, (5) coping with new knowledge, and (6) straining on public spending. While the fundamental mitigating responses to health inequity among the older population is tackling existing inequalities, this study may help to shed light on emerging vulnerabilities among the older population to alleviate far-reaching consequences of COVID-19 of the identified inequity amplifiers.

Keywords: COVID-19; aging; health equity; public health policy; social determinants.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer CJB declared a shared affiliation, though no other collaboration, with one of the authors SL to the handling Editor.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Selection process for the scoping review. The conceptual model of COVID-19 triggers and amplifiers on health inequity among the older populations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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