Retirees and those close to retirement age felt the pandemic’s effects acutely during its initial stages. Stock market losses devastated families that had saved and invested properly. Older people in frontline occupations were driven to abandon their employment out of dread of Covid, and those planning to stay for a few more years may have lost their jobs due to business closures or reductions in force. Millions of elderly Americans had their retirement security threatened almost overnight despite government aid.