COVID is now a Pandemic of older people – Nick Landekic

By Nick Landekic

We are all tired of dealing with COVID, and desperate to return to normalcy. The unpleasant truth is the virus is not yet done with us.

With the year-end holidays upon us and infection rates rising across the country, the stark new reality is COVID is now a pandemic of older people.

Right now is a particularly risky time with a ‘tripledemic’ of COVID, flu, and RSV, with almost the entire country at ‘high’ or ‘very high’ levels of infection. Hospitalizations and deaths are both up sharply over the past two weeks, with deaths increasing as well.

The single greatest predictor of a poor outcome from COVID is age. Older people are thousands of times more likely to die of infection than younger.

90% of COVID deaths are now among those over 65. Over 300 Americans continue to die of COVID every day, and nearly 1,000 just on December 7 – a rate of over 100,000 a year – and most of them are over 65.

This is primarily happening because of two reasons.

First, our immune system weakens as we age. Older individuals have neither as strong of a defense against infection, nor response to vaccines, as younger people. Vaccines are vitally important for saving lives of all ages, but work less well and last for a shorter time the older we get.

Vaccination reduces the risk of death from COVID about 15-fold in the general population, but only about 7-fold in those over 65, and less than 4-fold in those over 80.

Second, not enough people are getting booster shots. Only 34% of older Americans have received a booster shot, and less than 13% of all have gotten the latest bivalent booster. The protection from vaccination only lasts a few months, after which it needs to be recharged.

COVID is different now than it was three years ago. Now we are facing ‘convergent evolution’ with over 500 variants circulating at the same time. For the foreseeable future, it’s going to always be like it is now. There will always be an evolving soup of variants circulating, several surges happening every year, with older people at greatest risk.

As a country we have accepted over 100,000 COVID deaths a year as the satisfactory ‘new normal.’ We have abandoned public health, leaving it to each individual. If you want to reduce your chances of getting sick, Long COVID, or dying, if you are over 50 and especially over 65 there are things you can do to keep yourself safer.

First, wear a N95 (or equivalent) mask in public indoor situations such as shopping. Multiple studies have shown masks can be highly effective in protecting you not just from COVID but also RSV and the flu. RSV is also a risk for adults, killing about 14,000 every year.

Wearing a mask is a minor inconvenience. Having COVID is a major one.

Second, avoid crowded indoor settings while unmasked. Places like restaurants and bars present greater risks of infection during times of and in places with high transmission. COVID transmission remains high or substantial in 81% of the country and all of Rhode Island. One study showed infection happening in a restaurant from 20 feet away with just a few minutes of exposure. How badly do you really need that hamburger?

Third, stay current with vaccine booster shots. Taking a few minutes to get a booster shot a couple of times a year can make the difference between COVID being mild and merely unpleasant, and risking dying. Vaccination also reduces the risk of Long COVID, which affects 1 out of 5 people who have been infected.

Vaccination alone is not enough. The COVID variants have evolved enough immune escape and transmissibility that vaccination can reduce the risk of hospitalization and death, but will not prevent you from getting infected and sick. We all crave simple solutions, the ‘one thing’ we need to do. Viruses don’t make things that simple for us. Any steps you take will help, but the more you do, the better.

Wearing a mask indoors + avoiding crowded indoor settings unmasked + vaccine boosters = a much better chance of staying healthy.

The tough love is, we’re still very much in a pandemic.

It’s just not over yet, and ignoring the truth doesn’t change the truth. It can be tempting and painful to see people out enjoying themselves, seemingly living ‘normal’ lives again and having fun. But if you’re older, the rules are different. As unfair as it is, the risks are higher for older people than for the younger.

Many people want to think the pandemic is over and move into a post-COVID world. Unfortunately, that world isn’t ready for us yet. Your life, especially if you are older, may depend on the precautions you take.

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Nick Landekic of Bristol is a retired scientist and biotechnology entrepreneur who has spent more than 35 years working in the pharmaceutical industry.

To read past stories by Landekic on COVID, go here: https://rinewstoday.com/?s=nick

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