Covid-19: one in three elderly people later develop a health problem

One in three people over the age of 65 will develop a health problem following Covid-19. This is according to a study published in the BMJ on February 9, 2022.

To carry out their research, the scientists observed the data of 87,337 people aged 65 and over, who are at higher risk of severe form than other age groups. Among these patients, 32% or 27,698 consulted a doctor 21 days or more after a Covid-19 infection for one or more new or persistent clinical sequelae. This is 11% more than those who did not contract the disease. Here are the reasons for consultation: respiratory failure, fatigue, hypertension, memory problems, kidney problems, mental health diagnoses, hypercoagulation and heart rhythm disorders.

But other respiratory infections can cause similar sequelae, noted the authors of the study who observed data from other patients. Only the risks of dementia, respiratory failure and fatigue remain greater in people suffering from Covid-19.

“Important” after-effects

The results of the study thus confirm a risk of persistent and new sequelae in adults aged 65 and over after an acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. “Besides respiratory failure, dementia and post-viral fatigue, the sequelae resembled those of viral lower respiratory disease in the elderly” however, the report says. “This finding further highlights the wide range of significant sequelae after acute infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”