Wuhan Interaction with Stockholm Evidence-based Research (WISER) project on health perspectives in the older population facing the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak severely affected the cities of Wuhan and Stockholm in 2020. The most affected was the old segment of the population, where thousands died in hospitals and in elderly care homes.

Different strategies were implemented to protect the population; from lockdown in Wuhan to social distancing in Stockholm.

The aim of the WISER (Wuhan Interaction with Stockholm Evidence-based Research) project is to analyze health perspectives of the old population during the COVID-19 epidemic.

We will analyze public health interventions on disease spreading in the old population using a Bayesian inference framework.

In addition, we will identify COVID-19 risk factors in elderly living in care homes and in geriatric patients admitted to hospital. What risk factors identify vulnerable individuals in need of more advanced care?

Moreover, we will follow up geriatric patients and analyze their long-term health consequences after COVID-19 infection.

As we partly use selected samples in the analyses, we will also develop methods to account for sampling bias.The research team from China and Sweden brings together experts in infectious disease epidemiology, biostatistics, gerontologists knowledgeable on frailty, as well as clinical geriatricians important for collecting clinical data.

The project covers three years, with shared responsibility for the aims. Together, we will move the forefront in COVID-19 epidemiology of the most affected old individuals.