A prolonged course of COVID-19 in a person with dementia. / Et langvarig covid-19-forløp hos en person med demens.
Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen
; 140(14)2020 10 13.
Article
in English, Norwegian
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-883917
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The course of COVID-19 may be particularly long-lasting in elderly patients. Caring for patients with dementia suffering from COVID-19 is challenging due to unclear symptom presentation, delirium, and maintaining isolation procedures. CASE PRESENTATION A man in his sixties with dementia, hospitalised in a psychogeriatric ward, presented with mild upper respiratory tract symptoms and recovered within 24 hours. Ten days later he developed more severe symptoms. PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 was positive. Over the following two months his clinical state fluctuated, from almost symptom-free days to being bedridden and assessed as potentially terminal. After the initial positive test, he had three consecutive negative tests, before he again tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Uncertainty as to whether the patient remained contagious resulted in isolation of the patient for over two months.INTERPRETATION:
PCR testing of SARS-CoV-2 does not differentiate between intact virus and remnants thereof, and patients may test positive for a long time. This along with a fluctuating clinical course makes it difficult for clinicians to decide when to end isolation of COVID-19 patients.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
/
Dementia
/
Pandemics
Type of study:
Case report
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
/
Norwegian
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
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