Impact of social isolation on older outpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Objective We aimed to evaluate the impact of social isolation during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the health of older outpatients in São Paulo, Brazil. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Multidimensional Assessment of the Elderly in Primary Care (AMPI-AB) tool to assess the functionality of individuals aged 60 years and older at three time-points: pre-pandemic (January 2019 - March 2020), during the pandemic (October 2021 - August 2022), and post-pandemic (September 2022 - July 2023). Data were extracted from medical records. Results Among the 206 patients evaluated pre-pandemic, 94 were assessed during the pandemic, with 80 included in the final analysis. The mean age was 76.7 years; participants were predominantly female (66%). The number of healthy patients decreased from 52 pre-pandemic to 37 during the pandemic (18.8% reduction, p=0.001), while post-pandemic, the number of healthy patients increased to 45 (21.6% improvement from the pandemic period, p <0.001). The average AMPI-AB score rose from 4.8 points pre-pandemic to 6.2 points during the pandemic, then slightly decreased to 6.0 points post-pandemic, indicating a modest recovery in functionality. Conclusion Our findings highlight significant consequences of social isolation on the health of the older population, which are characterized by a decline in well-being and functionality during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a notable recovery was observed post-pandemic, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to support vulnerable older individuals in future public health crises.