One out of every 100 seniors in the United States has died of the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.
As the country exceeds the grim milestone of 800,000 deaths to Covid-19, statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed that at least three-quarters of these deaths are of people over the age of 65.
Many of these deaths occurred in nursing homes, with 15,049 residents in elderly care facilities dying of the virus. However, medical experts say that this does not tell the full story.
People over 65 may have a greater likelihood of comorbidities. Comorbidities are medical conditions that a person can have at the same time as Covid-19, which thereby increase the risk of severe illness and death. Examples of comorbidities are cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
CDC statistics show that 18% more elderly people died in 2020 than would have died in a year without the pandemic. Medical experts take this data as a greater indication of the importance to vaccinate, wear masks and socially distance.
On Nov. 30, the World Health Organization released a statement advising that people over 60, especially those with comorbidities, “postpone travel to areas with community transmission.”
