GERIATRIC SYNDROMES AND SARS-COV-2: MORE THAN JUST BEING OLD

Abstract

At the end of 2019, China released a warning about an outbreak of pneumonia due to unknown causes (1). It was subsequently identified as a new coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a zoonotic large size RNA-based genome virus, responsible for this infectious disease (called Covid-19) (2). The disease spread worldwide. On March 11th 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the state of pandemic, foretelling a catastrophe with major health and economic consequences. On April 3th, 1,039,166 cases of SARS-CoV-2 and 55,092 deaths have already been reported around the world (Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center; https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html; last access April 4th). Unfortunately, the complete clinical and epidemiological picture of Covid-19 is still unclear. This coronavirus is highly contagious (primarily airborne, but also through contact with infected surfaces), and its severity ranges from asymptomatic/mild forms (the majority) to very severe cases (3). Currently, we are facing several challenges of difficult solution, such as lack of hospital and intensive care beds, shortage of personal protective equipment for health professionals, the loneliness and economic problems of isolated people, and the race for a vaccine and effective treatments.