Abstract
Background: Osteoarthritis, a widespread highly painful oftentimes incapacitating joint disease continues to impose immense personal and societal challenges among adults of all ages, especially older adults.
Objective: This review aimed to describe the extent to which older adults with osteoarthritis may suffer excess disability, compared to healthy age-matched older adults, and why this is important to note and prevent in the context of the novel COVID-19 corona virus pandemic.
Methods: Using the PubMed database and past research data, the degree of disablement commonly experienced by older adults with osteoarthritis was examined. Key points were then reported in narrative form.
Results: Findings show a high level of functional and comorbid disease-related disabilities in older adults with osteoarthritis, which commonly worsen over time. Most common is pain, limited mobility, depression, and cardiovascular conditions and obesity, the most common health conditions found in fatalities of older COVID-19 victims.
Conclusion: Osteoarthritis produces considerable disability among older adults in its own right. Coupled with high rates of cardiovascular disease and obesity, as well as frailty, it is likely a fair percentage of sufferers are at heightened risk for COVID-19. Consequently, optimal self-care strategies appear of increasing importance individually, as well as globally, in an era of massive barriers to regular healthcare opportunities and programs, and the challenges of complying with personal safety measures in the face of pain and joint dysfunction.
Keywords
Coronavirus, COVID-19, Community, Disability, Immune system, Joint, Osteoarthritis, Pain, Prevention, Treatment