New York: The COVID-19 disease, in itself, has hit older adults harder than other age groups. A new US national poll suggests that the pandemic may have increased older adults' risk of falling and injuring themselves, due to changes in physical activity, conditioning and mobility,

The National Poll on Healthy Ageing, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan's Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, is based on answers from a national sample of more than 2,000 adults aged 50 to 80 to a poll taken between the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and January 2021. The poll finds 25 percent of older adults experienced a fall, and 40 percent of these had more than one fall during the poll period.

More than a third of older adults (37 percent) reported being less physically active since the pandemic began. Nearly the same percentage said they spent less time on their feet, walking or standing, after March 2020. Fear of falling increased by 23 percent during the pandemic. But it was much higher among those who reported less physical activity (32 percent), worsened physical conditioning (42 percent) or worsened mobility (45 percent).

Sero survey report by ICMR shows Rajasthan has 2nd highest Covid antibodies after MP

Lancet study on Pfizer, AstraZeneca vaccine; antibodies may reduce by 50pc after 3 months

Biocon Biologics expands its COVID portfolio with the addition of a novel antibody.