COVID-19 and Third Age: psychological relapses of “new behaviours”

The pandemic has forced many countries to introduce restrictions on individual freedom and to support the adoption of hygienically responsible behaviour in order to contain the spread of the infection. The elderly, one of the most fragile sections of the population, have paid and are paying the highest price in terms of contagion and deaths. In Italy, for example, the average age of patients who have died and are positive for SARS-CoV- 2 is 80 years (median 82, range 0–109, InterQuartile Range - IQR 74–88). The median age of SARSCoV- 2 positive deceased patients is over 30 years higher than that of infected patients (median age: deceased patients 82 years - infected patients 48 years) [data from Istituto Superiore di Sanita updated 18/11/2020]. It is clear that preventive measures are essential to preserve the elderly from the risk of contracting COVID- 19. The psychological impact on the elderly and their relatives of the introduction of “new behaviours” and health safety rules that greatly limit social relationships will be discussed. The medium and long term effects of the various forms of isolation that affect both those living in the family and those who are guests of dedicated facilities concern both emotional and cognitive aspects. The risk is that at the end of the pandemic emergency a large number of elderly people will face increasing levels of non-self-sufficiency and the need for medical and health interventions, which were not necessary in the pre-pandemic phase.