COVID-19: Advice and Information for Older Adults
With constant news about the COVID-19 outbreak, it’s hard to know what information matters most. We’ve gathered the following guidance to help adults age 65 and older stay calm and safe.
Know your risk level. Older adults are more likely to become more seriously sick with the COVID-19 respiratory illness than younger adults, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Why is your risk higher? Our immune systems change as we age. This simply makes it harder for our bodies to cope the challenge of disease. Aging also makes the lungs more vulnerable to this particular illness. Finally, older adults may have other health conditions like heart disease, lung disease or diabetes that can make it harder to fend off and recover from COVID-19.
What can you do to protect yourself?
Practice good hygiene:
- Wash your hands often.
- Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, and sneezing.
- Use a hand sanitizer containing 60% or more alcohol if you can’t use soap and water.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth unless you’ve washed your hands first.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with tissue and throw it in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces you touch often – like doorknobs, phones, counter tops, sinks and toilets. Use soap or detergent first, then disinfectant.
- Stay home if you are sick.
Avoid others.
- Stay 6 feet – about two arm lengths – or more away from anyone who is sick.
- Stay at home as much as possible. Cancel any travel that is not essential.
- If you must go out, avoid crowds. Limit close contact. Wash your hands often.
Plan ahead.
- Make sure you have access to several weeks of medications, nonperishable food, and supplies in case you need to stay home for long periods and to limit trips out as much as possible.
Get a flu shot.
- Seasonal flu is still a real concern. If you haven’t received a seasonal flu shot for the 2019-2020 season, call your health care provider and make arrangements.
Beware of scams. Unfortunately, some are using this situation to tout false cures via email, and some are even claiming to be sending this information from the CDC. There are no cures or treatment for COVID-19 anywhere – do not trust or respond to these emails. Instead, trust information from reliable sources, including:
- The Maine Centers for Disease Control: website; phone: 800-821-5821.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): website.
If you are sick
If you are sick or if you’re worried about COVID-19 and an underlying condition you have: Call your health care provider for advice.
There’s no doubt these are difficult, uncertain times, and we want to do all we can to help you through it. Keep an eye out for more information the upcoming days and weeks, and we wish you good health.
Sources:
CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications/older-adults.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html