Risk Assessment of COVID-19 Infection among the Elderly Population.

Introduction: Elderly patients are susceptible to COVID-19 infection. They usually present with atypical symptoms and multiple organ dysfunction. The poor outcome in elderly patients is due to multiple comorbidities, declining functional status, and frailty. This study aimed to assess the risk profile of COVID-19 infection in the elderly population. Materials and methods: Patients aged 60 years and above with COVID-19 positive by RT-PCR were included in the study. Patients' demographic data, co-morbidities and severity of illness, complete hemogram, blood sugar, renal, liver function test, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-6, ferritin, D-dimer were noted. Patients' outcome in terms of survival was observed. Results: The total count, neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, ESR, urea, creatinine, interleukin 6, D-dimer, and blood sugar value were significantly associated with non-survival even after adjustment for age and gender. Complications such as acute kidney injury (AKI), renal failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and World Health Organization (WHO) severity were also associated with non-survival before and after adjustment for age and gender. On Cox regression survival analysis, ≥ three co-morbidities had hazard ratio (HR) of 54.36 [95% CI 3.66 to 807.01], WHO severity had HR of 31.09 [95% CI 1.31 to 738.22], MODS had HR of 16.97 [95% CI 2.86 to 100.39], creatinine had HR of 8.44 [95% CI 1.99 to 35.77], AKI had HR of 6.71 [95% CI 1.11 to 40.56]. Conclusion: In elderly patients with COVID-19 infection, the presence of at least three co-morbidities, severity of infection by WHO criteria and presence of complications such as MODS, elevated creatinine and AKI were predictors of the survival rate and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]