This essay discusses some of the consequences of the widely observed resurgence of a strong interventionist state during the corona crisis. Its focus is on how health and welfare arrangements impact the elderly, the group primarily affected by COVID-19. Four related perspectives – viewing the crisis as a “natural experiment,” the relationship between experts and politics, biopolitical arguments, and age discrimination – are used to unpack the major inequalities, tensions and deficits in the social and sanitary policies of Western Europe and the US.