OREANDA-NEWS. The course of COVID-19 gets worse with age, and the coronavirus itself may trigger the aging process. This hypothesis was stated by the director of the Russian Gerontological Research and Clinical Center of the N.N. NI Pirogova, chief freelance geriatrician of the Ministry of Health of Russia Olga Tkacheva.

Tkacheva at the VI international online conference "COVID-19. Russian and international experience said:" Some scientists call COVID-19 the disease of aging. There are two reasons for this. One is that, indeed, with age, the course of coronavirus infection becomes more and more difficult, and the second reason is that perhaps COVID-19 triggers the aging process, and this must be taken into account when we talk about the rehabilitation period. "

The expert noted that in addition to the main symptoms of coronavirus infection - fever, cough and shortness of breath, delirium is also possible in elderly patients, it should be on the list of symptoms assessed during hospitalization and outpatient examination.

The chief doctor of the hospital in Kommunarka, Denis Protsenko, at the online conference "COVID-19. Russian and International Experience" expressed the point of view that vaccination of the elderly will help reduce mortality and severe course of coronavirus in the older age group.