IBX News

Health experts are reminding senior citizen populations to take extra precautions as the coronavirus continues to rapidly spread across the U.S. with more than 161,000 as of March 31 and nearly 1,500 positive tests in North Carolina.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data reveals individuals at least 65 years old are high prospects and those at least 80-years-old are the highest risk for the virus.

For North Carolina keeping the elder population safe poses a unique challenge. While in some states, the senior population is more concentrated in certain areas, North Carolina’s older population is more dispersed.

The North Carolina State Demographer’s data shows that for 20 counties, residents at least 65 years old represents at least one-fourth of the population.

“We are doing our best to communicate to our various stakeholders what’s going on, why this is happening and why these mitigation strategies are being held,” Polk County Health and Humans Services Director Josh Kennedy told the Carolina Public Press for its March 21 article. “We are making sure people are understanding the solidarity in this process.”

More than 30% of Polk County’s 21,000 residents are older than the age of 65, the Carolina Public Press reported.

Kennedy has issued advisories to Polk County-based nursing homes, churches, and retirement centers since mid-January about the COVID-19 pandemic and the precautions senior community members should take to stay healthy, the public reported.

Clay, Cherokee, Polk, Macon, Henderson, Alleghany, Haywood, Ashe, Yancey and Graham counties each have one-in-four residents at least 65 years old, according to the state.

These counties are located in the western part of North Carolina.

Chatham and Moore are central counties that have a higher population of elderly and Beaufort, Brunswick, Carteret, Chowan, Pamlico, Perquimans, and Washington counties are in the eastern part of the state. These counties have a higher risk for coronavirus infections surrounding their population as the age density is 65 and older.

As concerns continue to grow, counties with high elder populations are closing those facilities. The Carolina Public Press reported Brunswick County closed its senior centers earlier in March as well as public events and libraries. Though, these decisions don’t mean all services aiding senior citizens have ceased.

“Even though the [senior] centers are closed to the public, [Brunswick Senior Resources Inc.] staff are still working to ensure that meals are provided and can assist seniors with some services virtually,” Brunswick County spokeswoman Meagan Kascsak told the Carolina Public Press.