How influenza and SARS manifest themselves in the elderly: a latent course and a high probability of severe pneumonia

In older people, respiratory infections occur differently than in young people. If with influenza or other variants of ARI, severe symptoms are usually expected - fever, cough, runny nose, then in age-related patients this picture is rare. This was during the briefing “Health of the Nation: Prevention of ARI – from recommendations to habit”, said Associate Professor of the Department of General Medical Practice with a course of geriatrics and palliative medicine BSMU, candidate of medical sciences Natalia Klimovich, reports sb.by.

She stressed:

- Due to a decrease in the immune response, the body is no longer able to give a full reaction to the introduction of an infectious agent, and the disease manifests itself differently: lethargy appears, appetite decreases, the temperature may not rise, but, on the contrary, fall. Infection often becomes a trigger for exacerbation of chronic diseases: hypertensive crisis, worsening of coronary heart disease, exacerbation of bronchial asthma are possible. In some cases, severe pneumonia develops. Therefore, in case of illness of a child, the contact of an elderly relative with him should be minimal, and the room where the elderly person is located should be regularly ventilate.

Natalia Klimovich added that such patients should be vaccinated: vaccination significantly reduces the risk of serious complications. Treatment of pneumonia in the elderly is more difficult, especially if we are talking about the influenza form, which is hemorrhagic in nature and causes serious lung damage. Interstitial pneumonia is one of the most severe conditions: the entire structure of the lungs, rather than individual areas, is involved in the pathological process, which makes the course of the disease extremely dangerous. Pneumonia and blood clots in the heart: the consequences of a viral infection transferred “on the feet” can be severe