What is the Prevalence of Persistent Symptoms in Older Adults after Covid-19 Infection? A Cohort Study

Authors: Oliveira MR*, Bondarenko J, Corso SD, Hoffman M, Marceau T, Chong M, Beaman J, Fineberg D, Wilson L, Buchanan J, Uren J, Lannin NA, Mellerick CR, Fernando K, Borghi-Silva A and Holland AE

DOI: 10.23880/aphot-16000266

Volume 7, Issue 3

Abstract

Aim: To compare the prevalence of persistent symptoms between older and younger adults infected with COVID-19 at 6-8 weeks following infection (baseline) and at 6-12 months (follow-up). Methods: A cohort study from the post-COVID service at Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Participants completed standardized surveys at 6-8 weeks following infection (younger = 870, and older = 311), and 6-12 months later (younger = 84, and older = 37). The measurements included dyspnoea (Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Scale – mMRC), fatigue (Fatigue Assessment Scale - FAS), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - HADS), post-traumatic stress disorder (The Impact of Events Scale-Revised - IES-R) and quality of life (QoL) (Euroqol-5D questionnaire - EQ-5D). Results: At baseline, older adults had a lower prevalence of dyspnoea (mMRC: 21% vs. 31%, p<0.01), depression (HADS-D: 9% vs 26%, p<0.01), anxiety (HADS-A: 16% vs 36%, p<0.01), extreme fatigue (FAS: 9% vs 39%, p<0.01), post-traumatic stress (IES-R: 12% vs 27%, p<0.01) and reported better QoL (EQ-5D-5L-VAS: 69±18 vs 57±22, p<0.01) compared to younger adults, At follow-up, older adults continued to report a lower prevalence of symptoms than younger adults for anxiety (HADS-A: 17% vs 36%, p=0.03), extreme fatigue (FAS: 9% vs 44%, p<0.01), and better QoL (EQ-5D-VAS, 66±23 vs 56±21, p=0.03). Conclusion: Older adults experience fewer short-and long-term COVID-19 symptoms. Future research should focus on developing targeted interventions tailored to different age groups.

Keywords: Post-COVID-19; Older adults; Dyspnea; Fatigue; Quality of life

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