European Journal of Environment and Public Health

European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 2021 - Volume 5 Issue 1, Article No: em0059
https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8457

Published Online: 06 Aug 2020

Views: 806 | Downloads: 723

As COVID-19 rapidly spread at the globe, it has attracted significant attention and brought unprecedented efforts, resulting in stops of routine activities and changes in day-to-day behavioral patterns of the public. To mitigate its impact on health bodies and systems, societies, and economies, many countries have adopted nonpharmacological preventive procedures such as social or spatial distancing, using protective gloves and masks, as well as frequently handwashing; these have been extensively implemented. However, preventive procedures aimed at protecting the healthcare systems have side-effects that might have a big impact on the elderly’s life. In this article, we highlight the main challenges facing older adults during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the importance of preventive measures in the protection of elderly health and containing the outbreak of COVID-19, they will undoubtedly have short and long term consequences for the well-being and mental health of the older adults.

COVID-19 older adults well-being social distancing social disconnectedness isolation preventive measures

• Abel, T. and Mcqueen, D. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic calls for spatial distancing and social closeness: not for social distancing! International Journal of Public Health, 65(3), 231-231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-020-01366-7
• Adalja, A. A., Toner, E. and Inglesby, T. V. (2020). Priorities for the US Health Community Responding to COVID-19. Jama, 323(14), 1343. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.3413
• Ajari, E. E. (2020). Why Menstrual Health and Wellbeing Promotion should not be Sidelined in Africa’s Response to COVID-19. European J Env Pubi, 4(2), em0045. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8278
• Buchanan, J. (2020). Protect Rights of People with Disabilities During COVID-19, Human Rights Watch, New York.
• Butler, M. J. and Barrientos, R. M. (2020). The impact of nutrition on COVID-19 susceptibility and long-term consequences. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.‏ Brain Behav Immun, 87, 53-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.040
• Cao, W., Fang, Z., Hou, G., Han, M., Xu, X., Dong, J. and Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry research, 287, 112934.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934
• Cobb, T. D. (2001). Reclaiming our food: how the grassroots food movement is changing the way we eat. Storey Publishing, Adams, MA, USA.
• Cohen, P. N. (2020). The COVID-19 Epidemic in Rural U.S. Counties. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 4(2), em0050. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8331
• Duan, L. and Zhu, G. (2020). Psychological interventions for people affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(4), 300-302.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30073-0
• ECDC, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2020, March 23). Considerations relating to social distancing measures in response to COVID-19 - second update. Stockholm: ECDC. Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/covid-19-social-distancingmeasuresg-guide-second-update.pdf
• Eisner, M. and Nivette, A. (2020). Violence and the pandemic: Urgent questions for research. Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. New York.‏ Available at: https://www.hfg.org/Violence%20and%20the%20Pandemic.pdf
• El Baz, S. and Imziln, B. (2020). Can Aerosols and Wastewater be Considered as Potential Transmissional Sources of COVID-19 to Humans? European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 4(2), em0047. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8324
• El Baz, S. and Imziln, B. (2020). Can Aerosols and Wastewater be Considered as Potential Transmissional Sources of COVID-19 to Humans? European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 4(2), em0047. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8324
• Fancourt, D. and Steptoe, A. (2020). The longitudinal relationship between changes in wellbeing and inflammatory markers: Are associations independent of depression? Brain, behavior, and immunity, 83, 146-152.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2019.10.004
• Galea, S., Merchant, R. M. and Lurie, N. (2020). The Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 and Physical Distancing: The Need for Prevention and Early Intervention. JAMA Internal Medicine, 180(6), 817-818. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.1562
• Gerst-Emerson, K. and Jayawardhana, J. (2015). Loneliness as a public health issue: the impact of loneliness on health care utilization among older adults. American journal of public health, 105(5), 1013-1019.‏ https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302427
• Guyonnet, S. and Rolland, Y. (2015). Screening for malnutrition in older people. Clin Geriatr Med., 31, 429-437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cger.2015.04.009
• Han, S. D. and Mosqueda L. (2020). Elder abuse in the COVID-19 era. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 68(7), 1386-1387. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16496
• Hislop, T. G., Bajdik, C. D., Balneaves, L. G., Holmes, A., Chan, S., Wu, E., Abanto, Z. U. and Butler, A. L. (2006). Physical and emotional health effects and social consequences after participation in a low-fat, high-carbohydrate dietary trial for more than 5 years. J Clin Oncol, 24(15), 2311-2317.‏ https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2005.04.3042
• Ho, C. S., Chee, C. Y. and Ho, R. C. (2020). Mental health strategies to combat the psychological impact of COVID-19 beyond paranoia and panic. Ann Acad Med Singapore, 49(1), 1-3.‏
• Käll, A., Jägholm, S., Hesser, H., Andersson, F., Mathaldi, A., Norkvist, B. T. and Andersson, G. (2020). Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for loneliness: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Behavior therapy, 51(1), 54-68.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2019.05.001
• Lai, J., Ma, S., Wang, Y., Cai, Z., Hu, J., Wei, N., … and Hu, S. (2020). Factors associated with mental health outcomes among health care workers exposed to coronavirus disease 2019. JAMA network open, 3(3), e203976-e203976.‏ https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3976
• Li, G. and De Clercq, E. (2020). Therapeutic options for the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Nature Reviews, 19, 149-150. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41573-020-00016-0
• Liu, S., Yang, L., Zhang, C., Xiang, Y. T., Liu, Z., Hu, S. and Zhang, B. (2020). Online mental health services in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(4), e17-e18. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30077-8
• Newman, M. G. and Zainal, N. H. (2020). The value of maintaining social connections for mental health in older people. The Lancet Public Health, 5(1), e12-e13. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30253-1
• Peterman, A., Potts, A., O’Donnell, M., Thompson, K., Shah, N., Oertelt-Prigione, S. and van Gelder, N. (2020). Pandemics and violence against women and children. Center for Global Development working paper, 528.‏ Available at: https://www.cgdev.org/publication/pandemics-and-violence-against-women-and-children
• Posner, B. M., Jette, A. M., Smith, K. W. and Miller, D. R. (1993). Nutrition and health risks in the elderly: the Nutrition Screening Initiative. American journal of public health, 83(7), 972-978. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.83.7.972
• Radwan, A. and Radwan, E. (2020a). Social and Economic Impact of School Closure during the Outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Quick Online Survey in the Gaza Strip. Pedagogical Research, 5(4), em0068. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/8254
• Radwan, E. and Radwan, A. (2020b). The Spread of the Pandemic of Social Media Panic during the COVID-19 Outbreak. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 4(2), em0044. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8277
• Radwan, E., Radwan, A. and Radwan, W. (2020a). The Mental Health of School Students and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Aquademia, 4(2), ep20020. https://doi.org/10.29333/aquademia/8394
• Radwan, E., Radwan, A. and Radwan, W. (2020b). Environmental Attitudes of School Students in the Gaza Strip During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology and Life Sciences [BEPLS], 9(6), 85-95.
• Reissman, D. B., Watson, P. J., Klomp, R. W., Tanielian, T. L. and Prior, S. D. (2006). Pandemic influenza preparedness: adaptive responses to an evolving challenge. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 3(2), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.2202/1547-7355.1233
• Sajan, B. (2020). Tenfold increase in elder abuse during COVID-19 pandemic, advocates say. Available at: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/tenfold-increase-in-elder-abuse-during-covid-19-pandemic-advocates-say-1.4896176
• Santini, Z. I., Jose, P. E., Cornwell, E. Y., Koyanagi, A., Nielsen, L., Hinrichsen, C., ... and Koushede, V. (2020). Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among older Americans (NSHAP): a longitudinal mediation analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 5(1), e62-e70. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30230-0
• Storey, J. E. (2020). Risk factors for elder abuse and neglect: A review of the literature. Aggression and violent behavior, 50, 101339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2019.101339
• Trabucchi, M. and De Leo, D. (2020). Nursing homes or besieged castles: COVID-19 in northern Italy. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(5), 387-388. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30149-8
• Tucci, V., Moukaddam, N., Meadows, J., Shah, S., Galwankar, S. C. and Kapur, G. B. (2017). The forgotten plague: Psychiatric manifestations of Ebola, Zika, and emerging infectious diseases. Journal of global infectious diseases, 9(4), 151-156. https://doi.org/10. 4103/jgid.jgid_66_17
• UN Women Headquarters (2020). COVID-19 and ending violence against women and girls. UN Women. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/04/issue-brief-covid-19-and-ending-violence-against-women-and-girls
• WHO (World Health Organization). (2020a). COVID-19 and Food Safety: Guidance for competent authorities responsible for national food safety control systems.
• WHO (World Health Organization). (2020b). COVID-19 and food safety: guidance for food businesses.
• WHO (World Health Organization). (2020c). COVID-19 and violence against older people.
• WHO (World Health Organization). (2020d). Addressing violence against children, women and older people during the COVID-19 pandemic: key actions, 17 June 2020. In Addressing violence against children, women and older people during the COVID-19 pandemic: key actions.
• Xiang, Y. T., Yang, Y., Li, W., Zhang, L., Zhang, Q., Cheung, T. and Ng, C. H. (2020). Timely mental health care for the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak is urgently needed. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(3), 228-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30046-8
• Xiao, H., Zhang, Y., Kong, D., Li, S. and Yang, N. (2020). Social capital and sleep quality in individuals who self-isolated for 14 days during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in January 2020 in China. Medical science monitor: international medical journal of experimental and clinical research, 26, e923921-1. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.923921
• Yang, Y., Li, W., Zhang, Q., Zhang, L., Cheung, T., Xiang, Y. T. (2020). Mental health services for older adults in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(4), e19. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30079-1
• Yousafzai, A. K., Rasheed, M. A. and Bhutta, Z. A. (2013). Annual research review: improved nutrition-a pathway to resilience. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 54, 367-377. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12019

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.