Analysis of Epidemiological and Clinical Features in Older Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outside Wuhan. (25th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lian, Jiangshan; Jin, Xi; Hao, Shaorui; Cai, Huan; Zhang, Shanyan; Zheng, Lin; Jia, Hongyu; Hu, Jianhua; Gao, Jianguo; Zhang, Yimin; Zhang, Xiaoli; Yu, Guodong; Wang, Xiaoyan; Gu, Jueqing; Ye, Chanyuan; Jin, Ciliang; Lu, Yingfeng; Yu, Xia; Yu, Xiaopeng; Ren, Yue; Qiu, Yunqing; Li, Lanjuan; Sheng, Jifang; Yang, Yida
• Is Part Of: Clinical infectious diseases. Volume 71:Number 15(2020)
• Page Start: 740
• Page End: 747
• Publication Date: 2020-03-25
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- SARS-CoV-2 -- Epidemiology -- elderly; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; 616.905
• DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa242
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1058-4838

Abstract

Abstract: Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a large threat to public health in China, with high contagious capacity and varied mortality. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of older patients with COVID-19 outside Wuhan. Methods: A retrospective study was performed, with collecting data from medical records of confirmed COVID-19 patients in Zhejiang province from 17 January to 12 February 2020. Epidemiological, clinical, and treatment data were analyzed between older (≥ 60 years) and younger (< 60 years) patients. Results: A total of 788 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were selected; 136 were older patients with corresponding mean age of 68.28 ± 7.31 years. There was a significantly higher frequency of women in older patient group compared with younger patients (57.35% vs 46.47%, P = .021). The presence of coexisting medical conditions was significantly higher in older patients compared with younger patients (55.15% vs 21.93%, P < .001), including the rate of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Significantly higher rates of severe clinical type (older vs younger groups: 16.18% vs 5.98%, P < .001), critical clinical type (8.82% vs 0.77%, P < .001), shortness of breath (12.50% vs 3.07%, P < .001), and temperature of > 39.0°C (13.97% vs 7.21%, P = .010) were observed in older patients compared with younger patients. Finally, higher rates of intensive care unit admission (9.56% vs 1.38%, P < .001) and methylprednisolone application (28.68% vs 9.36%, P < .001) were also identified in older patients compared with younger ones. Conclusions: The specific epidemiological and clinical features of older COVID-19 patients included significantly higher female sex, body temperature, comorbidities, and rate of severe and critical type disease. Abstract : Older patients with COVID-19 were more likely to be female and had significantly higher rates of high temperature, familial clustering, and common comorbidities; lower levels of hemoglobin and albumin; and higher levels of C-reactive protein, creatine kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase.