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COVID ‐19 and Older Adults: What We Know
Author(s) -
Shahid Zainab,
Kalayanamitra Ricci,
McClafferty Brendan,
Kepko Douglas,
Ramgobin Devyani,
Patel Ravi,
Aggarwal Chander Shekher,
Vunnam Ramarao,
Sahu Nitasa,
Bhatt Dhirisha,
Jones Kirk,
Golamari Reshma,
Jain Rohit
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/jgs.16472
Subject(s) - medicine , covid-19 , betacoronavirus , pandemic , medline , coronavirus infections , gerontology , virology , outbreak , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , political science , law
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), a novel virus that causes COVID‐19 infection, has recently emerged and caused a deadly pandemic. Studies have shown that this virus causes worse outcomes and a higher mortality rate in older adults and those with comorbidities such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). A significant percentage of older American adults have these diseases, putting them at a higher risk of infection. Additionally, many adults with hypertension, diabetes, and CKD are placed on angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers. Studies have shown that these medications upregulate the ACE‐2 receptor, the very receptor that the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus uses to enter host cells. Although it has been hypothesized that this may cause a further increased risk of infection, more studies on the role of these medications in COVID‐19 infections are necessary. In this review, we discuss the transmission, symptomatology, and mortality of COVID‐19 as they relate to older adults, and possible treatments that are currently under investigation. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:926–929, 2020