Premium
Recurrence or Relapse of COVID ‐19 in Older Patients: A Description of Three Cases
Author(s) -
Lafaie Ludovic,
Célarier Thomas,
Goethals Luc,
Pozzetto Bruno,
Grange Sylvain,
Ojardias Etienne,
Annweiler Cédric,
BotelhoNevers Elisabeth
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.16728
Subject(s) - medicine , covid-19 , geriatrics , coronavirus , pediatrics , disease , psychiatry , virology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , outbreak
BACKGROUND COVID‐19 has infected millions of people worldwide, particularly in older adults. The first cases of possible reinfection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) were reported in April 2020 among older adults. DESIGN/SETTING In this brief report, we present three geriatric cases with two episodes of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection separated by a symptom‐free interval. PARTICIPANTS The participants of this brief report are three cases of hospitalized geriatric women. MEASUREMENTS/RESULTS We note clinical and biological worsening during the second episode of COVID‐19 for all three patients. Also, there is a radiological aggravation. The second episode of COVID‐19 was fatal in all three cases. CONCLUSION This series of three geriatric cases with COVID‐19 diagnosed two times apart for several weeks questions the possibility of reinfection with SARS‐CoV‐2. It raises questions in clinical practice about the value of testing for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection again in the event of symptomatic reoccurrence. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:2179–2183, 2020.