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COVID-19: A Geriatric Emergency

Virginia Boccardi1, Carmelinda Ruggiero1, Patrizia Mecocci1

  • 1Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, 06132 Perugia, Italy.

Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 3, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Older Italian adults face high COVID-19 mortality due to frailty and multiple health conditions. Early diagnosis and community-based treatment are crucial to prevent intensive care unit overload.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The aging Italian population presents a significant challenge regarding COVID-19 mortality.
  • Pre-existing health conditions, particularly in older adults, are strongly associated with increased COVID-19 fatality risk.

Discussion:

  • Frailty, indicated by multiple comorbidities in older patients, heightens vulnerability to stressors and impairs physiological compensatory mechanisms.
  • Managing frail patients with COVID-19 is clinically complex, increasing complication risks and complicating early symptom recognition.

Key Insights:

  • Frailty exacerbates COVID-19 severity and mortality in the elderly.
  • Atypical symptom presentation in frail older adults necessitates heightened clinical vigilance.
  • Multisystemic frailty impacts the body's ability to maintain homeostasis during infection.

Outlook:

  • Urgent need for interdisciplinary collaboration, sharing geriatric expertise in managing frail COVID-19 patients.
  • Implementing early, community-based diagnosis and treatment is vital to prevent healthcare system collapse, especially intensive care units.

Keywords:
COVID-19agingfrailtygeriatricsolder

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