VULNERABILITY OF ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS TO COVID-19 - A REVIEW

Abstract

The new public health crisis that is threatening the world with its emergence and spread is COVID-19. The mortality rate because of COVID-19 is increasing day by day all over the world. Scientists and health care professionals all over the world are trying to derive a vaccine and cure for this virus.Many antiviral drugs are used all over the world for the treatment of COVID-19. It is a pneumonia-like disease that primarily affects the respiratory system. The most common symptoms of COVID -19 includes fever, cough and fatigue . In some cases there are other symptoms like sputum production,headache, diarrhea, dyspnoea and lymphocytopenia. The incubation period of COVID-19 is approximately 5.2 days.Patients with COVID -19 had high leukocyte count, and inflammatory cytokines. The death of old age people due to COVID -19 is increasing all over the world.It is found out that old age people are more vulnerable to this pandemic than children and adults. The pre existing systemic disease and the weak immune system make the elder people more vulnerable to many infectious diseases.The main aim of this study is to find out why old age people are more vulnerable to this pandemic- COVID-19 than any other age group.