Covid-19 Infection in Older Adults: A Geriatrician’s Perspective

Ahmet Turan Isik Department of Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Balcova, Izmir, TurkeyCorrespondence: Ahmet Turan IsikDepartment of Geriatric Medicine, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Geriatri Bilim Dalı Dokuz Eylul Universitesi Tıp Fakultesi, Balcova 35340, Izmir, TurkeyTel +90 232 412 4341Fax +90 232 412 43 49Email atisik@yahoo.comAbstract: The pandemic of the Covid-19 virus has become the main issue all over the world. In its current form, the disease is more severe in geriatric cases and individuals with chronic disease, even causing death. In older adults and atypical presentations, testing strategies for Covid-19, potential drug interactions of experimental Covid-19 therapies, and ageism are important issues in the course of the disease. Therefore, health-care professionals should be aware of these, and screening policies for Covid-19 should also include atypical presentations with or without classical symptoms of the illness in older adults. Furthermore, evaluation of individuals > 65 years of age from a geriatrician’s perspective is very important, because Covid-19 is severe and fatal in seniors.Keywords: Covid-19 infection, pandemic, older adults, atypical presentation