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The coronavirus epidemic is a warning for Hong Kong, and others, to prepare for the reality of an ageing world
- Because the coronavirus disproportionately affects people over 65, health care systems in countries with large elderly populations are struggling to cope
- The epidemic should prompt governments to think through how policies such as social distancing affect the elderly and to bolster health care systems well in advance
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Why you can trust SCMP
The Covid-19 pandemic is exposing weak spots in our medical systems, our supply chains and our political structures. It has also highlighted an often invisible source of strain: demographic risk.
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The world is getting older. As highlighted in forthcoming research by the Asia Business Council, many countries in East Asia – including Hong Kong and China – are in the early years of demographic decline. There will be fewer young working-age people supporting an ever-increasing older population.
Covid-19 is an alarm bell, reminding us of the need to be better prepared to protect our most vulnerable citizens – both now and in preparation for future epidemics. Some of the countries most affected by the virus are also among the world’s oldest.
Japan and Italy are the global leaders in ageing. The percentage of residents over 65 is at a global high of 28 per cent in Japan and 23 per cent in Italy, according to the World Bank. Nearly all countries with significant recorded outbreaks have senior populations above the world average of 9 per cent.
Like the flu, Covid-19 disproportionately affects older people. The mortality rate of the new coronavirus is still poorly understood, but a recent study by China’s Centre for Disease Control based on data in the country found that 14.8 per cent of people aged 80 and older who are infected die of the virus.
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