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Older people often get COVID-19 slightly differently than young people. The unusual symptoms that accompany coronavirus infection make it difficult to treat them and provide them with adequate help quickly. What is known about the course of COVID-19 in seniors?
Seniors are a group at high risk of a severe course of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection, leading to dangerous complications and even death. As reported by CNN, older people do not always develop the typical symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, dry cough, and breathing problems. It happens that neither of them appears.
In the case of seniors in the initial stage of coronavirus infection unusual behavior may appear – lack of appetite, sleeping more than usual, indifference or loss of spatial orientation. An elderly person may become dizzy and collapse as a result, stop talking, or black out. Atypical symptoms appear in elderly people with various diseases and ailments, including COVID-19. The reason for such a different reaction of the body is a specific response of the immune system.
Older people may react differently to infections because advanced age reduces the body’s immune response. This topic was discussed by Dr. Joseph Ouslander, professor of geriatric medicine at the Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University. According to him blunted immune response it happens with an aging organism. The ability to regulate body temperature changes, and concomitant chronic diseases can mask the signs of infection.
Some seniors have altered coughing reflexes, for example as a result of a previous stroke or neurological problems. People with cognitive impairment will also not be able to communicate their ailments and changes in well-being.
Early signs of COVID-19 in the elderly
A big problem resulting from the unusual course of infection in seniors is the risk of missing the first symptoms of COVID-19. The first point is that an elderly person infected with the coronavirus may then spread the virus unknowingly while away from home. The second problem is with her own health – initial symptoms that go unnoticed can suddenly give way to far more serious symptoms and complications. If this happens, the elderly patient’s condition may worsen before receiving medical attention.
An example over An 80-year-old patient with COVID-19 reported Dr. Quratulain Syed, an Atlanta geriatrician. A man with heart disease, diabetes, and moderate cognitive impairment had no fever or cough. Instead, he stopped walking, became lethargic, and had problems with urine and stool retention. The only respiratory symptom was occasional sneezing. However, the coronavirus tests were positive for this patient.
Other symptoms doctors have found in older people who have been confirmed with COVID-19 include:
- stroke-like symptoms – confusion and speech difficulties, which are, however, a result of the effects of the coronavirus on the central nervous system;
- hypoactive delirium – altered mental state with somnolence and apathy, possibly with confusion;
- nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Check: Coronavirus can cause changes in the nervous system
The above-mentioned symptoms are still considered unconfirmed – it is necessary to collect and systematize data on these unusual symptoms of coronavirus infection. A Swiss geriatrician will soon be published in the scientific journal Revue Médicale Suisse. Dr Sylvain Nguyen of the University Hospital of Lausanne compiled a list of COVID-19 symptoms in the elderly, based on data collected from hospitals and nursing homes in Switzerland, Italy and France.
Do unusual signs of coronavirus infection in seniors Dr.Sylvain Nguyen includes, among others:
- behavioral changes;
- delirium;
- falls;
- tiredness;
- apathy;
- low blood pressure;
- painful swelling;
- fainting;
- stomach pain;
- diarrhea, nausea and vomiting;
- loss of taste and smell.
Additional factors influencing the health of seniors
Correct diagnosis of the health of older people is troublesome for several reasons. With age, seniors develop various ailments, which are also influenced by lifestyle. Nursing home residents become less active and a lack of exercise affects their overall health. Elderly people living alone may not cope with the proper distribution of drugs for various diseases or fall into apathy and depression.
If a doctor wants to make a diagnosis due to disturbing symptoms in an elderly person, it is crucial to have access to detailed information that could indicate the likelihood of coronavirus infection. Symptoms may result from insufficient control of chronic ailments or be associated with a completely different disease than COVID-19. Sometimes a senior may also have a bad day that makes you feel unwell.
A medical consultation or calling for medical help should be decided especially when the symptoms are severe or the senior behaves unusually for a few days and the situation does not improve.
Have a question about the coronavirus? Send them to the following address: [email protected]. You will find a daily updated list of answers HERE: Coronavirus – frequently asked questions and answers.
Also read:
- Seniors and the coronavirus. Three questions for the geriatrician
- Coronavirus dangerous for seniors. How should the elderly protect themselves against it?
- Senior in the era of an epidemic. How to deal with the coronavirus world
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