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Elderly and COVID-19

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Handbook of Aging, Health and Public Policy

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Abstract

COVID-19 has resulted in a pandemic of unprecedented magnitude. Within a short span from December 2019, it has spread to more than 222 countries. Though it affects individuals of all ages, the severity and mortality of COVID-19 are highest among the geriatric age group. Various factors like immunosenescence, unrestrained inflammation, and cytokine storm have contributed to the bad prognosis in the elderly. The commonest causes of death are bronchopneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), coronary artery disease (CAD), and pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary fibrosis is going to be a post-COVID sequel in the long run. Various control measures like social isolation and prolonged lockdown have contributed to the deterioration of mental health in the elderly. Except for monoclonal antibodies (MAB), steroids, and heparin, most of the drugs developed did not show sustained results. The development of vaccines was a silver lining in this scenario. The virus mutates all the time, emerging variants of concern (VOC) are a threat to public health, and a prolonged pandemic is a possibility.

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  1. Department of Medicine, Government Medical College Trivandrum, Trivandrum, India

    Aruna Raman

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  1. Aruna Raman
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  1. Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Science, Trivandrum, India

    Robert Mathew

  2. The International Institute of Migration and Development, Thiruvananthapuram, India

    Aneeta Shajan

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Raman, A. (2024). Elderly and COVID-19. In: Handbook of Aging, Health and Public Policy. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1914-4_116-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1914-4_116-1

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