I think it’s more than that. The judge is 75 years old. The elderly have been scared out of their wits.
Yes, I know many people in their 70s who listen to The Voices On The TeeVee, and are terrified of Da Covid.
Well, yes, those of the elderly who don't have God in their lives (and I tend to think that this describes a fair number of baby boomer types), do tend to come off as cowardly hypchondriacs.