Abstract
The fact that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects age groups differently, has impacted the wider introduction of age-based measures and restrictions as part of the strategy to minimise the negative outcomes of the pandemic. It also led to a re-labelling of intergenerational encounters as a major risk factor for older people.
The idea that age-based lockdowns (or other strategies involving age segregation) could be a possible solution gained a rather prominent position in the discussions regarding economically sustainable solutions to the pandemic. These debates bring fundamental challenges for gerontology and related disciplines, within which there is a long-term consensus on the benefits and fundamentally positive role of intergenerational ties.