It has been over three years since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Hong Kong on 23 January 2020. As of 29 January 2023, a total of 2.6 million COVID-19 positive cases and over 13,000 deaths were reported during the fifth wave, which started on 31 December 2021. Older adults aged 70 and above accounted for 11.4% of all reported cases but 87% of all deaths. Among those older adults who died, 51% were unvaccinated and 11% received only one dose of Covid vaccine. Moreover, over 40% of all deaths were residents of care home, who were mostly frail elderlies with multiple comorbidities. Besides, older adults are also vulnerable to suffer from complications arising from COVID-19, treatment in isolation facilities of hospitals and post-COVID conditions, like breathlessness, fatigue and cognitive impairment etc. The impact of social distancing and isolation also led to a deterioration of physical and mental health of older adults with or without COVID-19. Sarcopenia, loneliness, anxiety, depressive symptoms and even suicidal ideation or elder abuse were reported more often in older adults during the pandemic. An accelerated decline of cognition and worsening of behavioral symptoms were notable among patients with cognitive impairment. There were also more deaths due to cardiovascular disease among older adults in Hong Kong during the first year of pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, geriatric teams in different hospitals have been playing crucial roles by providing telemedicine consultation, outreach medical and nursing support to residents at care homes, quarantine centers and community treatment facilities. Other significant work also included coordination of evacuation and hospital discharge at care homes, infection control advice and promotion of COVID-19 vaccination to elderly population.
