The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic: Approaches for the elderly and those with Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that since its outbreak in December 2019 has become a global pandemic. COVID-19 is caused by the previously unknown coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The elderly are the most vulnerable to COVID-19, and have the highest mortality of the afflicted. Similar patterns have been observed in epidemics and pandemics throughout the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries. In this article, we review some unique challenges the elderly and people with Alzheimer's disease face during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggest approaches that could be taken from healthcare and social approaches to better handle this pandemic.