The advice in many countries is for those aged above 60 to remain at home because they have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease. A likely consequence of the COVID-19 control measures will be the voluntary or involuntary physical separation of older people. Asst Prof Rahul Malhotra, Head of Research at CARE, wrote in an exclusive essay for The Straits Times that ensuring older people have smart devices and access to the Internet – as well as the ability to use them – can alleviate the loneliness felt from social distancing.

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