ABSTRACT
Purpose
This study aimed to investigate the differences between elderly patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or influenza A H1N1 virus infections.
Methods
We contrasted two absolute groups of patients (age ≥ 60) infected with either COVID-19 (n = 222) or influenza A H1N1 virus infections (n = 96). Propensity score matching was used to reduce the imbalance between the two matched groups. The clinical features, imaging presentations, therapies, and prognosis data were compared between the two groups.
Results
The influenza patients showed higher proportions of cough, expectoration, fatigue and shortness of breath. Higher counts of lymphocytes, hemoglobin and creatine kinase and lower counts of WBCs, neutrophils, blood urea nitrogen and C-reactive protein were found in the COVID-19 patients. Regarding the imaging characteristics, bilateral pneumonia was the most abnormal pattern in the two groups of patients. The incidence of ARDS or death was lower among the COVID-19 patients.
Conclusions
The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 patients are more concealed than those of influenza patients. Fewer symptoms of sputum production, fatigue, and shortness of breath combined with lower counts of WBCs, neutrophils and CRP are possible predictive factors of COVID-19 among elderly patients.
Fuente: International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Published: 9 November 2022
