References

Antunes B, Bowers B, Winterburn I Anticipatory prescribing in community end-of-life care in the UK and Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic: online survey. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2020; https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002394

Dignity in Dying. Public opinion. 2020. https://tinyurl.com/yxv5he4z (accessed 10 July 2020)

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. End of life care for adults: service delivery (NG142). 2019. https://tinyurl.com/y7255nh5 (accessed 10 July 2020)

Office for National Statistics. Coronavirus and the social impacts on young people in Great Britain: 3 April to 10 May 2020. 2020a. https://tinyurl.com/y9rbpogg (accessed 10 July 2020)

Office for National Statistics. Coronavirus and the social impacts on older people in Great Britain: 3 April to 10 May 2020. 2020b. https://tinyurl.com/ybpgh9hy (accessed 10 July 2020)

Poolman M, Roberts J, Wright S Carer administration of as-needed subcutaneous medication for breakthrough symptoms in people dying at home: the CARiAD feasibility RCT. Health Technology Assessment. 2020; 24:(25) https://doi.org/10.3310/hta24250

COVID-19 and end of life

02 August 2020
Volume 25 · Issue 8

The threat of death due to COVID-19 has heralded widespread concern, as witnessed by increased levels of anxiety across generations (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2020a; 2020b), and it has re-introduced the topic of death and mortality into many conversations. In earlier times, when the survival of infants into childhood and children into adulthood was the cause of celebration, the death of family members was witnessed regularly, and the topic of death was not a taboo subject. While the ONS (2020a) report indicated that younger adults were more optimistic about the future than older adults, they, too, were concerned about school/university, work, household income and wellbeing. Adults aged 60 years and over were worried about how COVID-19 had impacted their lives, and this affected their wellbeing, coupled with the loss of normal activities and consequent boredom (ONS, 2020b).

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