Online Social Environment Impacts Feelings of Social Connection in Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Evidence suggests that nearly one-third of older adults experience loneliness and/or social isolation; an increase in these rates during the current pandemic is anticipated. The Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in South Florida has worked to engage seniors in fun learning activities and social opportunities since 1977. When “stay at home” orders went into effect in March, 2020 the LLI moved to online program delivery via Zoom. To understand the implementation of zoom among LLI members, NSU students, researchers and LLI member advisory committee developed a cross-sectional research study using an online survey that was administered to LLI members three months post-zoom implementation in May, 2020. Results among the 127 responders demonstrated that a majority of members were not comfortable using zoom (57%) especially the chat, reactions or camera features. More than 80% of responders did report that zoom helped them keep their spirits up. Respondents had specific feedback to improve Zoom programming including Youtube videos on use, retraining, training on features (e.g. chat, camera, reaction), closed captioning, program reminders and links sent out more frequently and within 30 minutes of start time. There were also several comments about internet connectivity, identifying opportunities for router and internet plan education. Finally, respondents noted new opportunities to enhance virtual programming including engaging speakers from across the nation and world. In summary, direct feedback from seniors on how to improve the online social and learning environment is pivotal to improving experience, programming and social connection during COVID-19.

in two obesity intervention studies that were converted from in-person to remote delivery, due to COVID-19. The Veterans Achieving Weight Loss and Optimizing Resilience-Using Protein study (VALOR-UP; n=9) and the Egg-Supplemented Pre-Diabetes Intervention Trial (EGGSPDITE; n=6) enrolled obese (BMI = 34.2±3.8 kg/m2) older adults (age = 71.5±4.5 yrs; 80% male; 47% black) with prediabetes (fasting blood glucose 100-125 mg/dL and/or HbA1c of 5.7-6.4%). Participants followed a hypocaloric diet, attended weekly support groups, and weighed themselves weekly; VALOR-UP participants also attended a weekly exercise class delivered remotely. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (pre-COVID) and the end of a 4-month period coinciding with stay-at-home orders. Between baseline and 4 months, calorie intakes (3-day diet record) decreased by 402.1±529.3 kcal/day (p<0.05) and body weight by 6% (6.1±3.4 kg; p<0.0001). Physical function (Short Physical Performance Battery) improved by 1.1±1.4 units (p<0.01) and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) physical and mental composite quality of life remained stable (p=0.63 and p=0.48, respectively). Thus, despite COVID-19 circumstances, most participants were able to benefit from an intervention to improve function and reduce obesity. The somewhat surprising findings for this small cohort offer promise not only for future lifestyle interventions during COVID-19 isolation but also for other isolated populations, including home-bound older adults.

OLDER ADULTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Peter Sun, 1 Nancy Morrow-Howell, 2 Elizabeth Pawloski, 3 and Emma Swinford, 4 1. Washington University in St. Louis,Saint Louis,Missouri,United States,2. Washington University in St. Louis,St. Louis,Missouri,United States,3. Oasis Institute,St. Louis,Missouri,United States,Kansas City,Missouri,United States This study explored older adults' attitudes toward virtual volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 22-item survey was administered to 229 volunteers who previously worked with children through the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring program in St. Louis. Questions focused on technology use patterns and attitudes toward virtual volunteering. Most respondents have used a computer, a smartphone, and the Internet before at home (90.3%), but 22.8% of respondents feel uncomfortable or very uncomfortable when using the Internet. Video conferencing software such as Zoom or Skype was not used before by 14.0% of the respondents, the top reasons being because they prefer other forms of communication (48.4%) or find it too difficult to keep up with technology (19.4%). If tutoring becomes virtual-only, 60.6% of the participants responded they were somewhat likely or very likely to participate, with significant variation by school districts (X2 = 21.92, p < .05, Cramer's V = 0.33) ranging from 42.6% to 96.0% (Bonferroni post hoc p < .05). Tutors from school districts that were less likely to tutor virtually had lower levels of education and higher levels of discomfort when using the Internet. The respondents also voiced that while virtual tutoring may eliminate barriers to in-person tutoring, such as commuting to schools and inclement weather, they were concerned about establishing a personal connection with their students online. These findings suggest that tutors anticipate both benefits and challenges with virtual volunteering and efforts to engage older adults virtually should factor in prior use of technology and variations by geography.

OLDER AGE IS ASSOCIATED WITH MORE POSITIVE REFRAMING OF MEMORIES FROM THE SPRING PHASE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Sandry Garcia, 1 Jaclyn Ford, 2 Eric Fields, 3 Tony Cunningham, 2 and Elizabeth Kensinger, 2 1. Boston College,Brookline,Massachusetts,United States,2. Boston College,Chestnut Hill,Massachusetts,United States,3. Boston College,Chestnut Hill,United States Older adults often focus on positive aspects of past events, showing resiliency that runs counter to negative stereotypes of aging. We asked whether older adults would retain this positive focus even during the COVID-19 pandemic that puts older adults at particular health risk. We examined how age would relate to the experience of affect during the spring phase of the pandemic and also how it would affect their memories of that spring phase. We predicted that when reflecting on the spring phase of the pandemic, older age would be associated with an increased tendency to focus on "silver linings" and a decreased focus on negative aspects. Furthermore, we explored whether focusing on those "silver linings" would be driven by (i) more positive experienced affect during the spring-phase, or (ii) by a memory-specific effect that would persist after controlling for experienced affect. As predicted, older age was associated with increased focus on "silver linings" such as feelings of hope that the measures would reduce disease spread (p <.001) or memories of the community coming together (p <.001). These effects remained even when controlling for older adults' more-positive affect during the spring phase of the pandemic (community coming together, p=.03, and feeling hope, p=.008). These results suggest that older adults remain resilient during the ongoing pandemic. Compared to younger adults, older adults experience greater affective well-being in the moment and also benefit from a memory-specific mechanism allowing them to view the ongoing negative event through a rosier lens. Evidence suggests that nearly one-third of older adults experience loneliness and/or social isolation; an increase in these rates during the current pandemic is anticipated. The Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in South Florida has worked to engage seniors in fun learning activities and social opportunities since 1977. When "stay at home" orders went into effect in March, 2020 the LLI moved to online program delivery via Zoom. To understand the implementation of zoom among LLI members, NSU students, researchers and LLI member advisory committee developed a cross-sectional research study using an online survey that was administered to LLI members three months post-zoom implementation in May, 2020. Results among the 127 responders demonstrated that a majority of members were not comfortable using zoom (57%) especially the chat, reactions or camera features. More than 80% of responders did report that zoom helped them keep their spirits up. Respondents had specific feedback to improve Zoom programming including Youtube videos on use, retraining, training on features (e.g. chat, camera, reaction), closed captioning, program reminders and links sent out more frequently and within 30 minutes of start time. There were also several comments about internet connectivity, identifying opportunities for router and internet plan education. Finally, respondents noted new opportunities to enhance virtual programming including engaging speakers from across the nation and world. In summary, direct feedback from seniors on how to improve the online social and learning environment is pivotal to improving experience, programming and social connection during COVID-19.

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AGAINST COVID-19 IN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUNITY-BASED FACILITIES: SINGAPORE'S RESPONSE Vanessa Yong, Ministry of Health, Singapore, Singapore
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately infected older adults who are also at higher risks of developing severe health complications and having case fatality if infected. In particular, older adults in residential and community-based facilities are at greater risks of contracting COVID-19, in part due to close proximities and frequent human interactions in these facilities. In Singapore, the Ministry of Health and its implementation agency, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), together with long-term care service providers, have jointly developed a number of precautionary measures against COVID-19. This paper defines and describes Singapore's response in terms of the 'ABC' of COVID-19 safety measures for facilities, namely, safe Access, Behaviors, Compounds (i.e. spatial surroundings). These included infection prevention and control measures, access to PPE, distancing and zoning measures, suspension of visitors, alternative accommodation for long-term care workers, and testing to monitor people with long-term care needs and care workers. Incident response teams to support facilities providers in responding to COVID-19 infections were also swiftly set up. The outreach arm of AIC, the Silver Generation Office, further provided information and services support to older people during the pandemic. We share these measures as a set of practices and learning points for other countries undergoing the current pandemic and for future references.

RECOMBINANT SARS-COV-2 SPIKE PROTEIN MEDIATES GLYCOLYTIC AND INFLAMMATORY ACTIVATION IN HUMAN MONOCYTES Brandt Pence, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in part through cytokine storm. Metabolic reprogramming in immune cells mediates inflammation, and recent evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 activates glycolysis in monocytes to facilitate cytokine production. In this study I investigated the ability of the spike protein (subunit 1) from SARS-CoV-2 to cause glycolytic reprogramming and inflammatory activation in isolated human monocytes. Primary human monocytes were isolated from healthy young donors (N=4) by immunomagnetic negative selection and stimulated with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunit 1 (rS1) for 6 hr. Glycolysis was monitored by assessing extracellular acidification using a Seahorse assay. Supernatants and cell lysates were subsequently processed for gene and protein expression assays by qPCR and ELISA respectively. Treatment of monocytes with rS1 at 10 nM and 30 nM led to significant upregulation of glycolysis, as well as a substantial increase in gene and protein expression of interleukin-6. Mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages did not display enhanced glycolysis when stimulated with rS1, suggesting a specific interaction of the protein with the ACE2 receptor, rather than a general inflammatory response caused by contamination with endotoxin or similar. Glycolytic activation in monocytes in response to rS1 suggests that immunometabolic modulators, including common geroprotectors such as rapamycin and metformin, may have efficacy in treating COVID-19. Older adults may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing loneliness as a result of stay-at-home and social distancing orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study evaluated change in loneliness following the COVID-19 outbreak, using a longitudinal design and a validated loneliness measure, in a well-characterized sample who are at heightened risk for COVID-19 due to both age and location. The study included n = 226 older adults aged 70-90 years old, living in the Bronx, New York City, who had completed the 3-item Loneliness Scale prior to and during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City. There was no evidence of significant increases in mean loneliness from preto post-COVID-19 outbreak. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify risk and protective factors for change in loneliness during the COVID-19 outbreak, adjusting for pre-outbreak loneliness. Living alone, higher levels of education, greater worry about contracting the coronavirus, and limiting of daily exercise activities were risk factors for greater loneliness after the outbreak. In contrast, Black race, older age, greater social support and frequent social interactions via video call, all related to lower levels of loneliness after the outbreak.The outcomes of this study demonstrate substantial resilience among older adults to loneliness in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlight key risk and protective factors that may play an important role in individual differences in loneliness as pandemic-driven isolation continues.