National UK programme of community health workers for COVID-19 response
Andy Haines
Enrique Falceto de Barros
Anita Berlin
David L Heymann
Matthew J Harris
Published:March 24, 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30735-2
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic threatens to kill large numbers of people in the UK and to place unprecedented demands on the National Health Service (NHS). The case fatality rate is increased in older people and those with pre-existing disease and is reported to be about 20% in people with COVID-19 who are older than 80 years,1 although this does not take into account the under-reporting of mildly affected cases. There are about 8·8 million people aged 70 years or older in the UK and many others with health conditions that increase their vulnerability to COVID-19.