Ageing societies and the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic – Statements of the European Geriatric Medicine Society and measures of the Hungarian Government concerning older people

Ageing of the societies is a demographic phenomenon in the developed world. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel human coronavirus responsible for a pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). World Health Organization (WHO) data demonstrated that the first two waves of the pandemic had the most severe impact on older people and that is why new guidelines and protocols were necessary in geriatric medicine to protect senior citizens. In our publication, we summarise the three statements of EuGMS concerning the first and second waves of COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. Besides following the European recommendations, a proper local response was necessary in each country. The Hungarian Government has successfully completed the necessary measures during the first two waves, which are summarised in our publication. Those measures took into consideration not only the international guidelines, but the capacities of the healthcare system, as well as the sociodemographic and economic characteristics of the country. Successful local defence against COVID-19 required adequate and optimised interpretation of the international guidelines to save the life of thousands of older adults in Hungary.