The Government has ceased all social activities for senior citizens until April 30 and advised the elderly to stay at home and avoid crowded places. While the intention is good, it may also have unintended consequences in terms of stigmatising the elderly (Covid-19 kills only old people?, March 24).

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), younger people are not invincible.

The lingering presumption that Covid-19 is a disease that "old" people are susceptible to has damaging consequences.

At 65, I don't think I am old or that my routine and lifestyle should be restricted. I want to go out, to busy myself with activities and not waste my time staying at home playing with my computer and mobile phone or watching dramas.

Like most seniors, my generation is devoted to wellness. I have been working out at the gym daily for two hours; I do housework and walk for long stretches of time. I do this because to me, 65 is the new 40, but with the government restrictions, suddenly 65 is the new 85.

Once you start devaluing seniors based on set characteristics, then you set a precedent of devaluing others.

As fear rises, the elderly are asking that common sense prevail in the way people talk about who is vulnerable and who isn't.

Underlying health plays a bigger role than age does, so the focus should be on this group, young or old, instead of one size fits all.

Being old doesn't make us more likely to spread or contract the virus.

Cheng Choon Fei