Delirium key sign of Covid-19 in frail, older people, says Study

In a major study researchers have found that delirium a state of acute confusion associated with a higher risk of serious illness and death is a key symptom of Covid19 in frail older peopleThe findings published in the journal Age and Ageing highlight that doctors and carers should be aware of delirium as a possible early warning sign of Covid19 in the elderly even in the absence of more typical symptoms such as cough or feverOlder frailer people are at greater risk from Covid19 than those who are fitter and our results show that delirium is a key symptom in this group said study author Rose Penfold from Kings College London in the UKFor the study the researchers analysed data from two groups of older people aged 65 or over from March through MayThe first group included 322 patients admitted to hospital with Covid19 who had tested positive for Covid19 while the second comprised 535 users of the Covid Symptom Study app who reported having had a positive test resultThey found that older adults admitted to hospital who were classified as frail according to a standard scale were more likely to have had delirium as one of their symptoms than people of the same age who were not classed as frailDelirium along with tiredness and breathlessness were also more common in frailer users of the app with Covid19 compared with fitter people of the same ageA third of app users experiencing delirium did not report suffering the classic Covid19 symptoms of cough and fever while delirium was the only symptom for around one in five 189 per cent of hospitalised patientsThis is the first study showing that delirium is a likely symptom of Covid19 in frail older adults although the precise biological connection between the two conditions still needs to be understoodThe findings also highlight the need for systematic assessment of frailty for older people along with awareness and screening for delirium for this vulnerable population in hospitals care homes and the communityDoctors and carers should watch out for any changes in mental state in elderly people such as confusion or strange behaviour and be alert to the fact that this could be an early sign of coronavirus infection Penfold addedKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever