Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of older adults with COVID-19 in a southern Santa Catarina city

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i11.33851

Keywords:

Aged; COVID-19; Delivery of health care.

Abstract

Aims: To characterize the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of older adults infected with COVID-19 during the period from March 2020 to February 2022 in the city of Tubarao, Santa Catarina. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with 3919 older adults who had an infection by COVID-19 registered in a database maintained by the Health Foundation of this city. Results: Among this population, the hospitalization rate was 14.8% and the case fatality rate corresponded to 7.7%. Women were more diagnosed with COVID-19 (53.9%), while men were more associated with poor clinical outcomes, accounting for 56.5% of deaths. The most frequent symptom was cough (30.8%), followed by myalgia (22.4%) and headache (20.8%). The most common comorbidity, arterial hypertension, was linked to a higher risk of death. Conclusions: Aging showed its ability to provoke several changes in the response to coronavirus, increasing hospitalization and case fatality rates. The negative effect of the observed comorbidities possibly influenced such results, raising an alert about the need for treatment of chronic diseases and their prevention.

Author Biographies

Augusto Ricken Siqueira, Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina

Estudante de Medicina na Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (UNISUL), em Tubarão, SC, Brasil.

Chaiana Esmeraldino Mendes Marcon, Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina

Doutora em Ciências da Saúde pela Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (UNISUL), em Tubarão, SC, Brasil. Professora do Curso da Graduação em Medicina da Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (UNISUL), em Tubarão, SC, Brasil

Fabiana Schuelter Trevisol, Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina

Doutora em Ciências da Saúde pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), em Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Professora do Curso da Graduação em Medicina da Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (UNISUL), em Tubarão, SC, Brasil

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Published

31/08/2022

How to Cite

SIQUEIRA, A. R.; MARCON, C. E. M.; TREVISOL, F. S. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of older adults with COVID-19 in a southern Santa Catarina city. Research, Society and Development, [S. l.], v. 11, n. 11, p. e502111133851, 2022. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v11i11.33851. Disponível em: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/33851. Acesso em: 18 apr. 2024.

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 11

Section

Health Sciences

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Copyright (c) 2022 Augusto Ricken Siqueira; Chaiana Esmeraldino Mendes Marcon; Fabiana Schuelter Trevisol

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