The long Covid affects a significant proportion of those infected with the coronavirus. Data are still scarce for the older age groups, but a recent study indicates that 32% of over 65s develop a persistent health problem after Covid-19.
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[EN VIDÉO] Long Covid: when symptoms last for months Many people have long Covid, a form of the disease that can stretch for months. © Futura
At the time of writing these lines, the SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 400 million people worldwide. With the work of scientists and doctors, we now know that a significant proportion of these infected will suffer from long-term sequelae. duration that will also have to be taken care of. A disease after the disease in a way… Impossible to draw up a typical profile of the patient long Covidbut research has identified risk factors and a few most common symptoms.
But this information is sorely lacking for the highest age groups, from 65 years. Sixty-somethings are currently the age group most present in intensive care, thus exposing them to an increased risk of post-Covid sequelae.
32% of people aged 65 and over affected by a sequel to Covid-19
A study published in The BMJ concludes that approximately one in three people aged 65 and over develops a health problem within 21 days of Covid-19. This is 11% more than those who did not contract the disease. This figure was obtained after analyzing the health data of 130,000 seniors infected with SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 in the United States.
Among the range of symptoms post-Covid identified by numerous studies on the subject, the risks of respiratory failure, fatigue,hypertensionmemory loss, kidney problems, mental disorders, coagulopathy and heart rhythm disorders are significantly more important in people over 65 who have had Covid-19. Other respiratory infections can cause similar sequelae.
By comparing patients with Covid-19 with those with another respiratory condition, scientists have calculated that only the risks of dementia, respiratory failure and fatigue remain higher in Covid patients. Furthermore, this observational study is not intended to establish a causal link between the symptoms experienced by patients and infection with Covid-19.
” An increased risk of these sequelae was evident among those admitted to hospital with covid-19 disease, but the risk of several sequelae was also increased for men, especially those of African American descent, and for people aged 75 and over “, write the authors in their conclusion. This study enables us to refine our knowledge of the face of long covid among our elders.
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