Spatial variations of COVID-19 risk by age in Toronto, Canada.

The risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may vary by age, biological, socioeconomic, behavioural and logistical reasons may be attributed to these variations. In Toronto, Canada, the aging population has been severely impacted, accounting for 92% of all COVID-19 deaths. Four age groups: 60-69 years, 70-79 years, 80-89 years and ≥90 years in Toronto neighbourhoods were investigated for clustering tendencies using space-time statistics. Cohen's Kappa coefficient was computed to assess variations in risk by neighbourhood between different age groups. The findings suggest that knowledge of health risks and health behaviour varied by age across neighbourhoods in Toronto. Therefore, understanding the socioecological context of the communities and targeting age-appropriate intervention strategies is important for planning an effective mechanism for controlling the disease.