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SARS-CoV-2 associated COVID-19 in geriatric population: A brief narrative review

Jamaan Al-Zahrani1

  • 1College of Medicine, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences
|November 10, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Older adults are highly vulnerable to severe COVID-19 outcomes due to age and existing health conditions. This review details risk factors, clinical presentations, and management strategies for coronavirus disease 2019 in the elderly.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, has led to a global pandemic, overwhelming healthcare systems.
  • The geriatric population exhibits increased vulnerability to COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.
  • Preexisting chronic comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic pulmonary and kidney diseases, exacerbate risks in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the clinical presentations and risk factors associated with COVID-19 in the geriatric population.
  • To provide insights into the psychosocial impact, mortality, and potential treatment and prevention strategies for COVID-19 in older adults.

Main Methods:

  • This study is a narrative review based on updated scientific literature.
  • The review synthesizes information on clinical presentations, risk factors, and management of COVID-19 in the elderly.

Main Results:

  • Age, gender, chronic comorbidities, inflammaging, immunosenescence, and the renin-angiotensin system are identified as potential contributing risk factors for COVID-19 severity and mortality in the elderly.
  • The review details the clinical manifestations and psychosocial impact of COVID-19 in older adults.

Conclusions:

  • Older adults represent a high-risk group for severe COVID-19 outcomes.
  • Understanding specific risk factors and clinical presentations is crucial for effective management and prevention strategies in this demographic.
  • Further research into corticosteroid treatments and tailored prevention measures is warranted for the geriatric population affected by COVID-19.

Keywords:
COVID-19Elderly populationGeriatricsSARS-CoV-2

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