Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023:103:149-183.
doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-26576-1_8.

Virus Infections in Older People

Roy L Soiza  1 , Chiara Scicluna  2 , Sana Bilal  2
Affiliations

Virus Infections in Older People

Roy L Soiza et al. Subcell Biochem. 2023.

Abstract

Older people are more prone to viral infections, and often have worse outcomes. This was well demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, where a disproportionate number of deaths occurred in the oldest and frailest people. The assessment of the older person with a viral infection is complicated by the high prevalence of multiple comorbidities and sensory or cognitive impairment. They often present with common geriatric syndromes such as falls or delirium, rather than the more typical features of a viral illness in younger people. Comprehensive geriatric assessment by a specialist multidisciplinary team is the gold standard of management, as viral illness is unlikely to present in isolation of other healthcare needs. We discuss the presentation, diagnosis, prevention, and management of common viral infections-respiratory syncytial virus, coronavirus, norovirus, influenza, hepatitis, herpes, and dengue viruses-with special consideration of infections in the older patient.

Keywords: Ageing; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Diagnosis; Hepatitis; Infection; Influenza; Norovirus; Senescence; Treatment; Virology.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Abd Razak MA, Ahmad NA, Chan YY et al (2019) Validity of screening tools for dementia and mild cognitive impairment among the elderly in primary health care: a systematic review. Public Health 169:84–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2019.01.001 - DOI
    1. Ahmed SM, Hall AJ, Robinson AE, Verhoef L, Premkumar P, Parashar UD, Koopmans M, Lopman BA (2014) Global prevalence of norovirus in cases of gastroenteritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Infect Dis 14(8):725–730. S1473309914707674. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(14)70767-4 - DOI
    1. Alexopoulos GS, Buckwalter K, Olin J et al (2002) Comorbidity of late life depression: an opportunity for research on mechanisms and treatment. Biol Psychiatry 52(6):543–558. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3223(02)01468-3 - DOI
    1. Anonymous (2016) Takeda Initiates world’s first norovirus vaccine field trial. https://www.takeda.com/newsroom/newsreleases/2016/takeda-initiates-world... . Accessed 26 July 2021
    1. Anonymous (2020) Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 23 March 2020. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-address-to-the-nation-on-coron... . Accessed 30 June 2022

LinkOut - more resources