The social organisation of COVID-19: experiences and consequences for older people

On 5 May 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) no longer constituted a global health emergency (WHO, 2023). However, COVID-19 remains a significant threat to public health, with many countries experiencing recurring waves of infection. Older people were disproportionately affected by the emergence and spread of COVID-19, whether in hospitals, the community or in care homes. Millions of people have died from the pandemic, but people aged 70 years and over are especially vulnerable. This paper argues that the social organisation of responses to COVID-19 was highly damaging to particular groups of older people as well as those involved with their care. This paper summarises the impact of COVID-19 on older people, provides an outline for a sociology of the pandemic and ageing, and considers areas for development in research and public policy.