From Coffin Dodger to Boomer Remover: Outbreaks of Ageism in Three Countries With Divergent Approaches to Coronavirus Control

Objectives: This article compares responses to coronavirus control in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, 3 countries in which public ageism erupted over the social and economic costs of protecting older adults from Covid-19. Methods: Thirty-five (35) newspapers, media websites, and current affairs magazines were sourced for the study: 8 for Australia, 12 for the United Kingdom, and 15 for the United States. Searches were conducted daily from April to June 2020, using key words to identify age-related themes on pandemic control. Results: Despite divergent policies in the 3 countries, ageism took similar forms. Public responses to lockdowns and other measures cast older adults as a problem to be ignored or solved through segregation. Name-calling, blame, and so-be-it reactions toward age vulnerability were commonplace. Policies banning visits to aged care homes angered many relatives and older adults. Indefinite isolation for older adults was widely accepted, especially as a vehicle to end public lockdowns and economic crises. Discussion: Older adults have and will continue to bear the brunt of Covid-19 in terms of social burdens and body counts as the pandemic continues to affect people around the globe. The rhetoric of disposability underscores age discrimination on a broader scale, with blame toward an age cohort considered to have lived past its usefulness for society and to have enriched itself at the expense of future generations.

Automated summary

During the pandemic, public responses in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States exhibited ageism, with older adults being seen as a problem and facing discrimination. Policies banning visits to aged care homes sparked controversy, while the indefinite isolation of older adults was widely accepted.