Clinical characteristics of older patients infected with COVID-19: A descriptive study

Abstract

Objectives: Since the outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which has spread in the world rapidly. Population have a susceptibility to COVID-19, older people were more susceptible to have a variety diseases than younger, including COVID-19 infection with no doubt. This study focused on older patients with COVID-19 infection and analyzed the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of them.

Methods: We collected information on confirmed older patient transferred by Beijing Emergency Medical Service (EMS) to the designated hospitals from Jan 20 to Feb 29, 2020. The information including demographic, epidemiological, clinical, classification of severity and outcomes. All cases were categorized into three groups and compared the difference between aged 50-64 years, 65-79 years and older than 80 years.

Results: 56.7 % of elderly confirmed patients were male, fever (78.3 %), cough (56.7 %), dyspnea (30.0 %), and fatigue (23.3 %) were common symptoms of COVID-19 infection. Classification of severity has statistically significant differences between the three groups, compared with middle-aged patients and aged 65-79 years group, older than 80 years group had significant statistical differences in contacted to symptomatic case in 14 days. As of Feb 29, 38.3 % patients had discharged and 53.3 % patients remained in hospital in our study, the fatality of COVID-19 infection in elderly was 8.3 %.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 infection is generally susceptible with a relatively high fatality rate in older patients, we should pay more attention to the elderly patients with COVID-19 infection.

Keywords: Clinical characteristics; Novel coronavirus (COVID-19); Older patients.

Fig. 1

Distribution of outcomes of COVID-19 infections by age.

Fig. 2

The distribution of mild, severe and medical history after COVID-19 infection by age.