Concerns and coping strategies of older adult Veterans in Canada at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic, including associated public health measures such as travel restrictions, cancellation of elective surgeries, and the closure of public spaces and retail services (full list available at: https://github.com/jajsmith/COVID-19NonPharmaceuticalInterventions ), has resulted in risks to the health and well-being of Veterans, including disruptions to healthcare, loss of income, social isolation, and viral infection and mortality. Although a few studies are ongoing to better understand who may be at greatest risk, little is known about how Veterans experienced the pandemic and what coping strategies they employed at the outset. This infographic summarizes national cross-sectional survey responses collected from 210 Veterans aged 55 years and older who participated in the Canadian COVID-19 Coping Study between May-June 2020 (Women’s College Hospital Research Ethics Board REB # 2020-0045-E). The average age of Veterans who participated was 72 years; 29% were female, 93% completed the survey in English and 84% were retired. This population is older and more likely to be female than the gen-eral Veteran population.4 None of the Veterans included in this study had been diagnosed with COVID-19 at the time of study. A total of 11% had a family member or friend with a diagnosis or symptoms, and less than 5% had a family member or friend hospitalized, or who died as a result of COVID-19.