A HEALTH Ministry study titled “Mortality trends from 2010-2023 and excess mortalities in Perak during the COVID-19 pandemic” revealed that the pandemic inadvertently raised mortality rates among Malaysians aged 65 and above.
Focusing on Perak, total deaths in this age group rose to 22,319 between 2020 and 2023, up from 20,989 between 2016 and 2019.
The report cited movement control orders, fear of infection at clinics, delayed procedures, and diverted medical resources as key factors leading to missed treatments for chronic conditions. Similar trends are expected nationwide in districts with high elderly populations.
Conversely, movement restrictions resulted in fewer deaths among those aged 19 and below.
With Malaysians driving 80% fewer kilometres during lockdowns, reduced traffic led to fewer road accidents and lower fatal casualties among younger age groups.
According to the study, the pandemic and the subsequent movement control order put in place to curb the virus’s spread could have led to missed appointments.
It may have also caused delayed procedures for many patients with prolonged health complications, especially those with non-communicable diseases.
“There were changes in (the schedule for) seeking treatment especially among patients because of travel restrictions and the fear of contracting COVID-19 from healthcare centres,” Free Malaysia Today quoted the report.
On the other hand, here are key findings from global studies.
Across almost all nations, individuals aged 65 and older accounted for the vast majority of official COVID-19 deaths. In many developed nations, this demographic represented over 75% to 80% of total fatalities.
According to peer-reviewed demographic studies, the pandemic caused a sharp drop in overall global life expectancy, cutting several years off the average lifespan for older cohorts.
Early waves of the pandemic also heavily impacted nursing homes and long-term care facilities, where close quarters and fragile health profiles led to localised mortality spikes.
Beyond direct viral infections, studies highlight that elderly deaths increased due to healthcare system strain, delayed routine medical treatments, and the severe psychological toll of isolation. — Sept 26, 2026
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