Particularities of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the elderly

Few studies worldwide and in Tunisia have focused on SARS-CoV-2 infection in elderly subjects. The aim of our work was to determine the clinical, paraclinical and evolutionary features of SARS-CoV-2 infection in elderly Tunisian patients. We conducted a monocentric, retrospective and descriptive study of patients hospitalized in the Covid unit of a Tunisian internal medicine department between February 1 and July 31, 2021. We compared the clinical, paraclinical and evolutionary features of two groups of patients defined according to age: G1 patients aged 70 and over; G2: patients aged under 70. SARS-CoV-2 infection in our elderly subjects was characterized by an atypical and severe clinical presentation. Identifying factors predictive of the severity of SARS-CoV-2 lung disease in the elderly therefore seems imperative, in order to establish an appropriate therapeutic course to prevent the disease from developing adversely.