An American study published by the British Medical Journal on February 9, 2022 said that nearly 1 in 3 elderly adults develop new medical conditions after contracting COVID-19.
The results can help predict the magnitude of future health complications and improve planning for the use of health care resources.
Nearly a third (32 out of 100) older adults with covid-19 in 2020 developed at least one new condition requiring medical attention in the months following the initial infection.
The cases involved a range of major organs and systems, including the heart, kidneys, lungs, and liver, as well as mental health complications.
Studies examining the frequency and severity of new cases (sequelae) are starting to emerge after COVID-19 infection.
But few describe the increased risk of new cases of COVID-19 infection in older adults, who are at least 65 years old.
To address this, US researchers used health insurance plan records to identify 133,366 individuals aged 65 or older.
in 2020 and who were diagnosed with covid-19 before April 1, 2020.
These individuals were matched with three comparison groups (non-Covid) from 2020, 2019, and a group diagnosed with a viral disease of the lower respiratory tract.
The researchers then recorded any persistent or new cases beginning 21 days after COVID-19 was diagnosed.
Calculating the increased risk of cases caused by COVID-19 over several months based on age, race, gender, and whether patients were hospitalized for COVID-19.
The results showed that among individuals diagnosed with Covid-19 in 2020, 32% had sought medical care
due to one or more new or ongoing cases, which were 11% higher than the 2020 comparison group.
Similar results were found for the 2019 comparison group.
Compared to the 2020 comparison group, COVID-19 patients were more likely to have a range of conditions,
including respiratory failure (an additional 7.55 per 100 people), fatigue (5.66 per 100 people),
high blood pressure (4.43 extra per 100 people), and mental health diagnoses (2.5 per 100 people).
However, compared to the lower respiratory tract viral disease group, respiratory failure, dementia, and fatigue were demonstrated
Increased risk differences were 2.39, 0.71 and 0.18 per 100 people infected with COVID-19, respectively.
Individuals admitted to hospital with covid-19 had a significantly increased risk in most but not all cases.
The risk of developing many conditions is also increased for men, those of the black race, and those 75 years of age and older.
This is an observational study so the cause cannot be determined, and the researchers acknowledge some limitations.
Including the fact that some diagnoses may not really represent a new case of COVID-19 infection.
However, they warned that with more than 357 million people infected with the coronavirus worldwide,
“The number of survivors with consequences after acute injury will continue to increase.”
"These findings further highlight the wide range of important consequences following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection," they wrote.
"Understanding the magnitude of the risks in relation to the most significant clinical consequences may enhance their diagnosis and management of individuals who experience sequelae after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection."
They concluded that "their findings can help providers and other key stakeholders anticipate the magnitude of future health complications and improve planning for the use of health care resources."