U.S. News Survey: Coronavirus Concern High Among Older Adults

A U.S. News & World Report survey found anxiety about the coronavirus is higher among older adults than in other age groups and characterized by a more proactive approach to lifestyle adaptation than younger generations. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified "older adults" — people 60 and older — as being at "higher risk of getting very sick from this illness," along with those who have chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease. The survey found adults identifying as 60 or older were more likely than younger respondents to identify personal, proactive changes they had made to their daily lives out of a list of options provided by the CDC, by a margin of 89 percent to 85 percent. This group was more likely to say they had washed their hands or used hand sanitizers more often, avoided public places, and canceled social plans with others. Although more than 90 percent of respondents also said they had at least some anxiety about the virus, those 60 and older were 20 percent more likely than others to say they were "very concerned." Fifty-three percent of older adults expressed fear of becoming personally infected versus 38 percent of those under 60.