A new study found that delirium is often the first — and may be the only — symptom of COVID-19 to appear in older people.
An elderly person with COVID-19 may experience confusion, disorientation, inattention or other mental disturbances, but may not exhibit any other typical signs of the coronavirus infection, such as fever and cough, researchers say.
In older patients, delirium is missed in about two-thirds of cases even though it is a common symptom of any severe disease and linked to long hospitalizations, complications and death.
Researchers looked at more than 800 patients aged 65 or older who were seen in the emergency department and diagnosed with COVID-19. Nearly one-third suffered from delirium when they arrived at the hospital. In 16%, delirium was their main symptom, and 37% of delirious patients had none of the typical COVID-19 symptoms, the researchers found, with delirium being the sixth most common symptom.
People over 65 years of age represent 16% of the U.S. population and account for more than 80% of COVID-19 deaths nationwide, the study authors noted.
Source: Drugs.com November 25, 2020