UN: COVID-19 deaths for people over 80 are 5 times average

EDITH M. LEDERER

Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing "untold fear and suffering" for older people around the world who are dying at a higher rate, and especially for those over age 80, whose fatality rate is five times the global average.

The U.N. chief said that beyond the health risks, "the pandemic is putting older people at greater risk of poverty," with an especially devastating impact on the elderly in developing countries.

Guterres issued a 16-page policy briefing on the impact of COVID-19 on ol...