Consensus statement of the Russian association of gerontologists and geriatricians «Novel coronavirus SARS-COV-2 infection in older adults: specific issues of prevention, diagnostics and management» (key points)

Abstract

Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) is a dangerous disease for older adults. Preventive measures in this population should involve three groups of measures: 1) prevention of infection; 2) prevention of functional decline and geriatric syndromes, including social support; 3) control of chronic comorbidity. Older adults are common to present with atypical COVID-19 symptoms, and mildness of symptoms (no fever, cough, shortness of breath) does not correspond to the severity of the prognosis. Delirium may be the first manifestation of COVID-19, that is why it is screening should be widely implied. Risk of malnutrition resulting in sarcopenia increases during the hospitalization, especially if mechanical ventilation required, and promotes frailty progression and decreases quality of life after the discharge from the hospital. Geriatric assessment is an important component of the decision making process in the management of older adults. Full version was published as Tkacheva O.N., Kotovskaya Yu.V., Aleksanyan L.A., Milto A.S., Naumov A.V., Strazhesko I.D., Vorobyeva N.M., Dudinskaya E.N., Malaya I.P., Krylov K.Yu., Tyukhmenev E.A., Rozanov A.V., Ostapenko V.S., Manevich T.M., Shchedrina A.Yu., Semenov F.A., Mkhitaryan E.A., Khovasova N.O., Yeruslanova E.A., Kotovskaya N.V., Sharashkina N.V. Novel coronavirus infection SARS-CoV-2 in elderly and senile patients: prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Expert Position Paper of the Russian Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics. Cardiovascular Therapy and Prevention. 2020; 19(3): 2601. DOI: 10.15829/1728-8800-2020-2601