JNMC faculty speaks on ‘Protecting Elderly from the Pandemic’

Aligarh: “Most elderly people in the country live with their children. Their risk of contracting the infection from family members remains high,” said Prof Syed Ziaur Rahman, Department of Pharmacology, J N Medical College (JNMC), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

He was delivering the keynote address in an International online webinar on ‘Protecting Elderly from the Pandemic’ organized by the Center for Excellence in Science and Technology for Higher Education on Drugs and Cosmetics from the Moist Tropical Forest and Its Environment, Mulawarman University, Samarinda, Indonesia.

Speaking on the pandemic situation in India and particularly in Aligarh, Prof Syed Ziaur Rahman stressed that mental and physical well-being of elderly requires special focus during pandemic.

“Asking the elderly to self-isolate is one of the most effective Covid19 prevention strategies. But strong intergenerational ties and issues related to living arrangements can make physical distancing difficult for older persons,” he said.

Prof Syed Ziaur Rahman added that research is showing that adults 60-years and older, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions, especially heart disease, lung disease, diabetes or cancer are more likely to have severe-even deadly-coronavirus infection than other age groups. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to prioritise the health and well being of our elderly citizens.

On the occasion, the Bahasa (Indonesian national language) translation of ‘Ainul Hayat’ (the Fountain of Life) was also released. ‘Ainul Hayat’, which is a collection of manuscripts on genetics written 500-years ago in Arabic, was earlier translated in Urdu by Prof Syed Zillur Rahman (AMU Treasurer).