Imaging Features of COVID-19 in Elder People

ABSTRACT

It has been generally reported that elderly individuals, especially those with underlying disease, are most vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. After being infected with SARS-CoV-2, elderly patients, typically aged over 65, are more prone to severe symptoms and conditions, requiring care at the intensive care unit (ICU) [1, 2]. The elderly COVID-19 patients usually have poor outcomes with higher mortality than other age groups. A recent report from studying 339 elderly COVID-19 patients found that more than 70% of the enrolled patients were in severe or critical conditions, while 42.8% developed complication with bacterial infection. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was reported in 21.0% of these patients. The mortality rate was 19.2% [3]. Another retrospective study on 113 deceased patients found that more than 83% of them were aged 60 or older [4]. This may be related to the weakened immune system and respiratory function of the elderly. Accordingly, the CT imaging manifestation of elderly patients appears severer and more progressive than that of young and middle-aged patients. The inflammation is mostly subpleural and often involving bilateral lungs, mainly presenting as ground-glass opacities (GGO) and consolidations in pulmonary CT. As the disease is rapidly progressive, diffuse bilateral lesions could develop in 4–7 days [5]. © Henan Science and Technology Press 2020.