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Prevalence of multiple risk factors for poor outcomes associated with COVID-19 among an elderly Australian population

N L Pratt1, L M Kalisch Ellett2, A Q Andrade3

  • 1PhD, Associate Professor, Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, SA.

Australian Journal of General Practice
|February 5, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Most older Australians in the Department of Veterans

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) poses significant risks for older adults.
  • Key risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes include advanced age, male sex, and chronic health conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of COVID-19 risk factors in older Australian veterans.
  • To assess the burden of individual and multiple risk factors within this demographic.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) clients aged 70 years and older.
  • Calculation of the proportion of individuals with one or more risk factors.
  • Identification of the most common individual and multiple risk factors.

Main Results:

  • A high prevalence of COVID-19 risk factors was observed: 79% in the community and 82% in residential aged care.
  • Hypertension was the most common risk factor, followed by chronic heart and respiratory diseases.
  • Over 50% of individuals had two or more risk factors, and 20% had three or more across multiple body systems.

Conclusions:

  • A significant portion of older Australian veterans possess a multimorbid risk profile, increasing their vulnerability to severe COVID-19.
  • Prioritizing these individuals for proactive monitoring is crucial to prevent care omissions and mitigate harm during the pandemic.
Abstract

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