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At the onset of COVID-19, the older population suffered more from the virus than any other age group, experiencing high rates of death and serious illness following infection. In some countries, nearly all deaths were among older age groups. The initial discussion of COVID-19’s impacts on older people focused on these direct risks to health from the virus itself. But gradually it became clear that older people were also facing unique forms of indirect impact from the societal upheavals generated by the pandemic.

This 2020 overview of the impact of COVID-19 on older persons in the Asia Pacific region is part of a series of reports coordinated by HelpAge International with financial support from UNFPA’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. The full set of regional and country reports from throughout the year, with references, can be found at https://ageingasia.org/monitoring-covid-19-impact/. Two separate briefs accompany this report and can be found on the same webpage: (1) Data gaps and ageing in the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) COVID-19, older adults and long-term care in Asia Pacific.