Technology Use to Bridge the Gap of Social Distancing during COVID-19.

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) related ‘social distancing’ and stay-home recommendations have adversely impacted the ‘behavioral pandemics’ of old age; these include physical inactivity (PI) and lonelinesss [1,2]. To make matters worse, PI and loneliness are intertwined, with one worsening the other. In particular, sedentary behavior and PI are strongly associated with loneliness among those aged 50–81 years [3]. Loneliness is a subjective, stressful, and distressing feeling that results from a perceived loss of companionship and affects over 20% of older adults in the US [4]. Loneliness can cause feelings of social isolation, which has been attributed to more deaths in the US than cancer or stroke [2]. Physical inactivity is high in older adults, with most men (66%) and women (83%) over the age of 65 not meeting physical activity (PA) recommendations. Consequently, PI and health repercussions account for about $117 billion (11%) of US healthcare expenditure annually [5].